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Australian Test star Usman Khawaja no guarantee to play in Sheffield Shield final as feud with Queensland Cricket explodes

Usman Khawaja and Queensland Cricket are at loggerheads ahead of the Sheffield Shield final, with the Test star’s selection up in the air despite being available.

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Usman Khawaja’s relationship with Queensland’s cricket hierarchy is in turmoil as the Bulls prepare for next week’s Sheffield Shield final.

Khawaja missed the final round of the Sheffield Shield against South Australia but will declare himself available, fitness permitting, for next week’s Sheffield Shield final against South Australia in Adelaide.

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.

Khawaja’s relationship with Queensland Cricket is in turmoil. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images
Khawaja’s relationship with Queensland Cricket is in turmoil. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

Dawes would not even guarantee Khawaja would be chosen in the team for the final – saying only it would be chosen on Friday – but if Khawaja passes a fitness test he will be chosen.

“Our medical staff said all the way through he has been available for selection,’’ Dawes said today. “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.’’

Joe Dawes presents recent Queensland debutant Callum Vidler his cap before the Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales, in March. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Joe Dawes presents recent Queensland debutant Callum Vidler his cap before the Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales, in March. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

In a significant clarification, an hour after Dawes spoke, Queensland Cricket revealed to this masthead that Khawaja had reported a mild hamstring complaint before his last match against Tasmania.

Queensland Cricket medical staff did not consider the injury severe enough for Khawaja to miss a game and nor did the Test opener. But in Khawaja’s eyes, the niggle left him 70 per cent fit to play South Australia in the final round and on a risk-reward basis felt it was not worth it.

He concedes he had already arranged with Queensland Cricket to have that game off.

Usman Khawaja and wife Rachel Khawaja pose for a photo in the Paddock at the Australian F1 Grand Prix. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Usman Khawaja and wife Rachel Khawaja pose for a photo in the Paddock at the Australian F1 Grand Prix. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Khawaja, who attended the Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne on the weekend, is making no public comment but he is believed to have told friends that he only confirmed his fitness for his last Sheffield Shield game less than an hour before the team was finalised.

It is understood Khawaja had planned to do sprint work on Friday to see if his hamstring was up to playing.

Originally published as Australian Test star Usman Khawaja no guarantee to play in Sheffield Shield final as feud with Queensland Cricket explodes

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-star-usman-khawaja-has-made-a-huge-sheffield-shield-final-call-after-week-of-mystery-and-tension/news-story/ddd2fbf8496a002c8322ade3fec40e79