Mark Taylor Critiques Usman Khawaja’s Response to Shield Snub Fallout

Former Australian Test captain Mark Taylor has taken Usman Khawaja to task over the fallout from his attendance at the Australian Grand Prix.

Khawaja cited a hamstring issue as the reason for his withdrawal from the match against South Australia. However, his appearance on the grid at the F1 event in Melbourne the day after the match commenced has angered senior officials within Queensland cricket.

Queensland cricket chief Joe Dawes expressed his disappointment, stating that neither he nor his medical staff were aware of Khawaja’s hamstring complaint.

Former Test wicketkeeper and current Queensland cricket deputy chair Ian Healy also took a swipe at Khawaja for what he described as a “pick and choose mentality”.

Both men alluded to the possibility that Khawaja had overstated his hamstring issue in order to skip the game for the F1 event.

In response, Khawaja firmly denied the “shocking” allegations on Friday, calling them “categorically untrue” and insisted he had consulted Australian physios about his condition before stepping away from the match.

On Sunday morning, Taylor suggested that the debacle might have been a result of “miscommunication”, but emphasised that Khawaja could have taken further responsibility for the situation.

“Uzzy is a former captain of Queensland and a prominent player for both the Australian and Queensland teams,” he commented on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.

“He has a responsibility to inform Joe Dawes and ensure Queensland cricket is aware that ‘I’m not playing’. I believe he could have managed this situation much better.

“It’s not an ideal situation for Queensland as they head into a Shield final while the administration is in conflict with its players.”

The Bulls salvaged a draw against South Australia, which was sufficient for them to secure a place in the final against the same opponent due to favourable results elsewhere.

Sources speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald indicated that Khawaja is unlikely to participate in the Shield tournament after Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka.

While Khawaja’s Australian teammates Nathan Lyon, Travis Head, and Steve Smith have missed the tournament since the Sri Lanka series, Khawaja chose to return for the crucial match in Hobart, where Queensland required victory to keep their final chances alive.

He has been included in the Bulls squad for the final against South Australia, which is set to commence on Wednesday.

Taylor remarked that Khawaja was aware of the negative perception that would arise from missing the match. “He had been playing for Queensland. He played in the preceding match, but missed this one citing a niggle while attending the F1,” he noted.

“He knew it wouldn’t reflect well on him because he explicitly mentioned trying to keep his absence under wraps. He should have taken ownership of the situation and said, ‘I’m not playing’.

“He ought to have informed Joe Dawes since he is essentially his employer at this moment—not Cricket Australia, but Queensland cricket.

“Had he done that, I believe it would have diffused the issue significantly.”