Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has pulled out of the Australian Open Pro-Am golf tournament scheduled for 3 December at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, following criticism over his participation in a round of golf the day before the first Ashes Test.
Khawaja, 38, was affected by back spasms during the first Test and did not open the batting as usual. He left the field for treatment and, due to a rule requiring him to stay off for 10 minutes after missing the fall of the last English wicket, he came in at No 4, scoring just two runs before being dismissed by Brydon Carse.
Reports that he played golf the evening before the Test drew backlash from fans and former players, including Mitchell Johnson, who wrote in The West Australian: 'I'm not against players using golf as a way to switch off. But you've got to be professional too.' Khawaja appeared to respond on Instagram, posting a picture of a golf course with the caption 'What a week! It had it all AU', which received a golfer emoji from captain Pat Cummins.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg defended Khawaja, noting that several other players also played golf before the Test. He told SEN: 'It's not uncommon for a lot of them to play golf one day prior... getting some time away from being in your hotel or training, I think is really important.'
Khawaja is a doubt for the second Test at The Gabba starting 4 December. Coach Andrew McDonald said: 'I'm not sure where he's at, medically... Hopefully he's fit and available for selection.'
