New Delhi, Nov 29: Usman Khawaja is expected to receive a formal notice from Cricket Australia after bluntly labelling the Perth Stadium surface for the first Ashes Test a “piece of st” during a charity lunch this week.
According to reports, CA officials were unhappy with the opener’s remarks, which came despite match referee Ranjan Madugalle awarding the wicket a “very good” rating, the highest an ICC official can give.
Madugalle’s assessment followed a match that finished inside two days, noting the surface had “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent early bounce,” contributing to what he deemed a fair contest between bat and ball.“Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket, that seems real fair. Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever played with, and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way – he does not miss the middle of his bat. He’s getting hit in the elbow. So, day one wicket at (Perth) is a piece of st, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year; it was this year,” Khawaja had said. (IANS)
