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Test star Usman Khawaja’s relationship with Queensland Cricket is reportedly “in turmoil” ahead of the Sheffield Shield final after he missed the final game and attended the Australian Grand Prix on the weekend.
Khawaja cited a hamstring injury as the reason he didn’t play against South Australia, as the team made it through to the final in Adelaide.
New Corp veteran cricket reporter Robert Craddock wrote “Khawaja has been privately doing rehabilitation work for a hamstring niggle he claims troubled him during the century he scored in his last Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania earlier this month.
“But, in a stunningly frank rebuke, Queensland Cricket head of elite cricket and former Bulls fast bowler Joe Dawes has claimed he was “disappointed’’ Khawaja did not play the final game and said the Bulls medical staff have no knowledge of his hamstring injury.”
(Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images for Cricket Australia)
Queensland Cricket later clarified that Khawaja had reported a mild hamstring complaint before his last match against Tasmania, but their staff did not consider the injury severe enough for Khawaja to miss a game.
It was reported that Khawaja believed the injury left him 70 per cent fit to play South Australia in the final round and he felt it was too risky.
Dawes said Khawaja would need to undergo a fitness test to take his place in the team for the final.
“Our medical staff said all the way through he has been available for selection,’’ Dawes said. “That is my understanding from Cricket Australia staff as well. No hamstring issues as far as we are concerned.
“I go off our medical staff and there is no reason why he could not have played the last game.
“It’s just disappointing he didn’t play a game for Queensland when he had an opportunity to. I have got a bunch of blokes here that all want to play.
“I think we are disappointed he did not play the game against South Australia. That’s the decision he made and he has communicated some of the reasons for that in the public. Hopefully he will make that decision to make himself available for next week and we will make that decision on Friday.’’
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