Khawaja hit back on Friday with a passionate defence of his injury and his actions, after missing the game against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval last week and travelling to Melbourne to watch the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.
“There’s a lot of misinformation being thrown around,” Khawaja said. “The most disappointing thing was, I try to keep this as in-house as possible behind the scenes. It’s obviously not anymore. Joe Dawes came out the other day and said a few inflammatory things, which was really disappointing to me as a player, and after that, I just felt like I had to speak up and say something, and give my side a story.
“Joey said that the medical staff had no idea. That is 100% wrong. I’ve talked to both our physios. I’ve talked to the Australian physio. I was talking to the Australian physio the whole time. It’s on our athlete management system (AMS). My hammy is reported. Everything is there. Everyone knew about it. That was probably one of the most shocking things I heard. It was really disappointing because it’s categorically untrue. So I just wanted to clear that up, that the physios 100% knew about my hammy injury.”
Khawaja, 38, said that when he returned from Sri Lanka he was managing a hamstring impingement, a torn rotator cuff and a calf niggle that had arisen during his 232 not out in the first Test in Galle.
“To be honest, the other bit about me not wanting to play for Queensland was probably the most disheartening thing. The amount I’ve given to Queensland, just like Joey would have given too, you give your heart and soul. You can tell I get a bit emotional, you give a heart and soul for this organization.”
Usman Khawaja
Following a lengthy discussion with Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey, Khawaja said a plan was put in place for the end of the Shield season before he would have all of April and May off ahead of the World Test Championship final.
“We came up with a plan that I would play Tasmania and I would take the next game off,” Khawaja said. “And these are all fluid, but at the moment, I played Tasmania, took the next game off with the light of playing the Shield final. We’re trying to avoid me playing back-to-back games. I’m 38 years old guys. I can’t burn the candle at both ends.
“I do have to look after myself in some respect, and Queensland Cricket do know that. I texted [Queensland coach] Johan Botha and let him know. I didn’t really get a reply.”
Khawaja also said he had a fitness test with Queensland physio Stephen Timms on his hamstring before the Tasmania game and could only run at 70%. He then said both Bailey and Australian team physio Nick Jones reached out after the match regarding his hamstring.
“I said, the hammy’s not great,” Khawaja said. “It’s feeling like it’s gonna pop. I think we should stick to the same plan that we had. And [Jones] was, like, 100% agree. It’s too much risk for you to go out and play back-to-back games.
“I’m happy to do what’s best for Queensland cricket always,” Usman Khawaja said•Getty Images
“It’s a no brainer. So that was decided. Then George Bailey messaged me, and he said, ‘How’s everything going? What’s happening with QC?’ I said I haven’t heard from anyone in QC from when that Tasmanian game finished. I didn’t hear from Joe Dawes. I don’t hear from Botha. I don’t hear from any medical staff in Queensland Cricket. So I assumed everything was fine.
“And then a few days later, I started hearing murmurs and reports about me opting out and all this stuff. And I was fuming. I was actually really devastated. I was really disappointed. A board member started to attack me, which was really disappointing for me.
“To be honest, the other bit about me not wanting to play for Queensland was probably the most disheartening thing. The amount I’ve given to Queensland, just like Joey would have given too, you give your heart and soul. You can tell I get a bit emotional, you give a heart and soul for this organization.”
It is understood Khawaja did not have a scan on his hamstring after the Tasmania game. He went on to say that he could see why his appearance at the Formula One Grand Prix garnered some criticism but he said he was still doing his rehab while he was away and had spoken to Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald about it.
“I talked to Andrew McDonald yesterday, and he’s like, ‘Uzi, what you do with your spare time I have no issue with whatsoever’,” Khawaja said. “I either go home and curl up in a ball or I go watch F1 at the end of the day. I’m still doing my rehab. I still got three gym sessions in while I was away in Melbourne. I still look after my body. It’s not by any coincidence that I’m 38 years old and still playing cricket. Behind the scenes I do a lot of work, and I’m very professional about what I do. So yeah, look, I understand people look at it and they don’t have all the facts and the optics look bad. But I think that’s what was frustrating me, and that’s why I wanted to speak out.”
Botha had missed a Shield game earlier in the season to compete in an ultra-marathon.
Khawaja said he was willing to push his hamstring for the Shield final knowing that he has a 10-week break before the WTC final in June.
“I’m not the guy who hold grudges,” Khawaja said. “I’m happy to do what’s best for Queensland cricket always.
“Hammy is feeling pretty good. I’ve gone pretty hard on some of my loading on it over the last week and a half. I haven’t sprinted yet, so that’s the final thing. So I’ll have a little run today. I’ll have another little run on Sunday. And obviously, if everything’s going well, yeah, I should be fine. To be honest, if it feels like it still did in Tassie, I’m still willing to push for the Shield final. Was just hard to push for the game before, knowing that if I injured myself then I was gone for the Shield final.”
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
