Usman Khawaja has responded to Queensland Cricket’s Head of Cricket, Joe Dawes, who publicly criticized him for not playing in last week’s Sheffield Shield match, claiming that Khawaja chose to skip the game in favor of attending the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne with his wife. In a statement to the press, Khawaja clarified that he had been dealing with a hamstring injury, which had been communicated to the Queensland medical staff.
Dawes’ comments were met with backlash from some fans and officials. He publicly stated that Khawaja was not injured and had simply opted not to play.
“Our medical team has consistently stated that he has been fit for selection. That’s the information I’ve also received from the Cricket Australia staff. As far as we’re concerned, there are no hamstring concerns,” he explained.
“I rely on our medical team’s assessments, and there was no reason why he couldn’t have played in the last match. It’s disappointing that he didn’t take the opportunity to play for Queensland when it was available. I have a group of players here who are all eager to play,” he continued.
Khawaja shared his thoughts with reporters: “The most frustrating part for me was that I tried to keep this situation private, behind closed doors. Clearly, that’s no longer the case.”
“Joe Dawes recently made some controversial remarks, which I found particularly disappointing as a player. After that, I felt it was necessary to speak up, present my side, and clarify things. Joe mentioned that the medical staff was unaware of my hamstring injury. That claim is entirely false.”
Similarly, Nathan Lyon also found himself at the center of controversy. The spinner was in Melbourne recently to attend the F1 race with his wife.