Tension between Khawaja and Queensland builds ahead of Sheffield Shield final

There may be pressure between Check batter Usman Khawaja and Queensland Cricket forward of subsequent week’s Sheffield Defend ultimate, however he’s more likely to be named in an prolonged Bulls squad for the ultimate on Friday with a choice on whether or not he performs or to not come forward of the sport beginning subsequent Wednesday.

Khawaja attended all 5 days of the Australian Method One Grand Prix in Melbourne whereas the sport was happening in Adelaide however posted on social media on Tuesday that he was rehabbing a hamstring niggle that he picked up whereas making match-winning contributions of 127 and 33 not out within the Bulls earlier win over Tasmania. There may be additionally a suggestion he’s managing an ankle subject that flared up throughout the Sri Lanka tour though that didn’t cease him enjoying towards Tasmania.

Queensland Cricket common supervisor Joe Dawes made sturdy feedback on Wednesday suggesting that Khawaja was not injured and insisted Queensland’s medical workers had declared him accessible for choice.

“That’s my understanding from Cricket Australia workers as properly. No hamstring points so far as we’re involved,” Dawes advised reporters at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday.

“I’m going off our medical workers and there’s no purpose why he couldn’t have performed the final recreation.

“It is simply disappointing he did not play a recreation for Queensland when he had a chance to.

“I’ve received a bunch of blokes right here that each one need to play.

“I believe we’re upset he didn’t play the sport towards South Australia.

“That is the choice he made and he has communicated a number of the causes for that within the public.

“Hopefully he’ll make that call to make himself accessible for subsequent week and we’ll make that call on Friday.”

Khawaja was not the one Cricket Australia contracted participant who didn’t play within the ultimate spherical of the season. Nathan Lyon additionally attended the Australian Method One Grand Prix with Khawaja and has not performed since coming back from Sri Lanka resulting from administration of a hip subject. Steven Smith didn’t play the ultimate spherical for New South Wales after coming back from the Champions Trophy however Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey each performed for Queensland and South Australia respectively.

Each CA and state contracted participant who’s headed to the IPL additionally didn’t play within the ultimate Defend spherical as they had been all given No-Objection Certificates to go to India forward of the match beginning on Saturday.

Khawaja has already performed 11 first-class matches this summer time together with seven Assessments, which means he has already performed extra video games and days than any Australian home red-ball solely batter would play in a Defend summer time in complete. The 38-year-old has managed his schedule fastidiously lately, valuing relaxation over enjoying a variety of back-to-back video games so as to stay mentally and bodily contemporary for his Check commitments as he makes an attempt to increase his profession so long as doable.

That administration plan has been supported by CA. He missed certainly one of Queensland’s first 4 Defend video games to clean up forward of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and missed the Defend recreation towards Western Australia that began 9 days after the tour of Sri Lanka the place he scored a career-best 232 not out within the first Check.

Nonetheless, Khawaja is more likely to have all of April and Could to relaxation after the Defend ultimate finishes on March 30 earlier than getting ready for 4 Assessments in June and July which embody the WTC ultimate and a three-Check tour of the Caribbean. He will not have any worldwide commitments thereafter till the Ashes start in late November.

Source link