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Khawaja gives frank assessment of Perth pitch despite ICC ruling
Nicholas Quinlan • November 28th, 2025 11:23 pm
Usman Khawaja has criticised the pitch that the First Ashes Test was contested on, labelling it a “piece of s--t” despite the ICC giving the pitch its highest possible grading.
In an action-packed Test at Optus Stadium, which saw Australia claim victory by eight wickets in the space of just under two days, both teams were mostly even until the fourth and final innings, where Travis Head scored a sensational 123 off 83 balls to guide the hosts to victory.
Following the game, match referee Ranjan Madugalle on Tuesday rated the pitch as ‘very good’, which requires it to provide “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers”.
But the opening batter, who was at a lunch for his own charity, had a contrasting view, feeling that considering the number of wickets lost and batsmen hit on the first day of the Test match was enough evidence to go along with his conclusion that the wicket on the first day was not up to scratch.
“Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket, that seems real fair,” the 85-time Test player said.
“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. He’s getting hit in the elbow.
“Up and down (movement) is the hardest, sideways is a little bit easier, but up and down, your hands can’t catch up.
“So, day one wicket at (Perth) is a piece of s--t, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year; it was this year.”
The Queensland representative would later go on to say that the pitch does go on to improve as the match progresses, being one of the few grounds where it can be better to bat in the second innings.
“They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up and cure again,” he said.
“We know day two, day three is usually the best time to bat. So, whenever we play in Perth, it’s one of the few places we win the toss and bat first, hoping that we can bat again maybe the end of day two and into day three.”
The Second Test will take place at the Gabba with the first ball being bowled on December 4.
And SEN will have LIVE coverage of the series through its radio network and on the SEN app.
