Australia's Usman Khawaja is facing some backlash after being seen at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne over the weekend, raising suspicions that he might have faked an injury. He had missed Queensland's Sheffield Shield match against South Australia, citing a hamstring issue, but Queensland officials have since denied any injury claims in a surprising twist.

The 38-year-old had previously informed Queensland that he would only participate in one of the two remaining games after returning from the Sri Lanka tour. He chose to sit out the crucial match against South Australia this week. According to a report from Yahoo Sport Australia, Queensland officials indicated that Khawaja stepped back from the game to avoid taking the spot of a player who had been with the team all season, although he was also dealing with a minor hamstring issue. The report mentioned that Khawaja wanted to spend more time with his family during Ramadan and that fasting in the hot Adelaide weather would have been challenging for him.

Despite this, Khawaja stirred up controversy by attending the Grand Prix with his wife while Queensland was in action against South Australia. Additionally, Joe Dawes, Queensland’s Head of Elite Cricket, has refuted the injury claims.

Talking to News Corp, Dawes mentioned, “Our medical team has consistently said he was fit for selection. That’s also what I’ve gathered from the Cricket Australia staff. As far as we know, there are no hamstring issues. I trust our medical staff, and there’s no reason he couldn’t have played in the last match. It’s just disappointing that he missed the chance to play for Queensland.”

“I’ve got a group of guys here who are eager to play. We’re all let down that he didn’t participate in the game against South Australia. Ultimately, that was his choice, and he’s shared some of his reasons publicly. I hope he decides to make himself available for the final next week, and we’ll finalize that decision on Friday,” Dawes added.

Cricket Australia might be feeling a bit of pressure right now

The tie against South Australia was sufficient for Queensland to secure a spot in the final, and Khawaja has made himself available for the game. However, Dawes has yet to announce whether he will be included in the playing XI for the match set to take place on March 26 at Karen Rolton Oval.

“I’m relieved I didn’t have my TV on to catch him at the F1,” said Queensland Cricket Deputy Chair Ian Healy on SENQ. “Cricket Australia should feel a bit of pressure regarding this situation. I spoke with them, and they were unaware of Queensland’s issues with him not playing for the team; they wish we had contacted them sooner.”

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