Usman Khawaja faces sanction as data reveals truth about Perth Ashes pitch
Usman Khawaja’s scathing attack on Perth's “piece of s***” pitch may have backfired spectacularly, with analysis suggesting it was the most consistent wicket in the venue’s short Test match history.
The Perth pitch’s bounce on the opening day of the Ashes series was the most consistent day one Test deck in the venue’s history, with data appearing to debunk Usman Khawaja’s claim that the “up and down” conditions made the strip a “piece of s***.”
With Cricket Australia weighing up a sanction for Khawaja after his incendiary remarks about the Perth Stadium pitch – made during an interview at his charity luncheon on Friday in Brisbane – Cricviz information backs up the assessment of ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle, who described the Perth deck as “very good.”
That characterisation is afforded to pitches with “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers”.
Though 19 wickets fell on the opening day of the Test, and the match ended inside two days, the quick finish was in essence attributed by Madugalle to the approach of the two sides, particularly England, and ball’s general dominance over bat, rather than the conditions themselves.
Cricviz confirms that was the case.
Pitchviz data supplied to CODE Sports outlines that the Perth day one pitch measured just 2.9 out of 10 on an inconsistency scale, the lowest of the six day-one decks since the first Test at the venue in late 2018. The higher the score, the less consistent the bounce is deemed to be. For comparison, the day-one pitch used in 2018 for an Australia-India Test scored a 7.6 out of 10.
The first day pitch this year was however bouncy, measuring an 8.5 out 10 on the Pitchviz bounce metric. That made it the third bounciest day one Perth Stadium Test pitch.
It backs up the long-held ambition of curator Isaac McDonald to create a stereotypical Perth wicket replete with ample pace and bounce.
Khawaja – with his spot in the Test side already the subject of fierce national debate – lit a fuse on Friday with his comments.
The opener, batting at No. 4 in his lone bat of the Perth Test because of back spasms, fell for two to a vicious rising delivery from Brydon Carse.
“Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit. That’s a great wicket, that seems real fair,” Khawaja said at the luncheon.
“The same thing happened last year in the India Test. It’s just that day-one wicket, the ball just does not react.
“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, (yet) he’s getting hit in the elbow.
“So day-one wicket at Perth is a piece of s***, I’m happy to say that. Has been last year, it was this year.”
Khawaja’s main issue was the supposed variable bounce.
“You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest. Sideways is little bit easier,” he said.
“But up and down, your hands can’t catch up. They do get better. Day two, day three and then day four, they start to crack up and cure again.
“Whenever we play at Perth, it’s one of the few places we win the toss, bat first, hoping that we can bat again maybe at the end of day two and into day three.”
Senior CA officials were understood to be miffed by Khawaja’s remarks and were due to meet with him in Brisbane to get his side of the story before potentially handing down a penalty.
Originally published as Usman Khawaja faces sanction as data reveals truth about Perth Ashes pitch
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