Last Updated on 4 weeks by Charbel Coorey

Usman Khawaja has fired back at Queensland Cricket General Manager Joe Dawes for his comments ahead of next week’s Sheffield Shield Final against South Australia.

The Australia Test opener missed Queensland’s final match of the regular season, also against South Australia. There were reports that he “opted out” of the contest, but Khawaja insists he has a hamstring injury he has been recovering from.

What did Queensland Head of Elite Cricket Joe Dawes say about Usman Khawaja?

Dawes came out publicly to say he and Queensland were disappointed that Usman Khawaja did not play in the final round – a match where a positive result would get the Bulls into the Sheffield Shield Final. Dawes claimed Queensland’s medical staff declared Khawaja was not injured.

“That is my understanding from Cricket Australia staff as well. No hamstring issues as far as we are concerned,” Dawes told reporters at Brisbane Airport earlier this week, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“I go off our medical staff and there is no reason why he [Khawaja] 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,” Dawes continued.

“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 [the Sheffield Shield Final] and we will make that decision on Friday.”

Usman Khawaja’s response

Queensland managed to draw the match and seal qualification, but tensions have been simmering since. Khawaja fired back at Dawes, telling reporters that the claims were “100 per cent wrong.”

“I started hearing murmurs and reports about me opting out, and I was fuming. I was actually really devastated,” Khawaja said, as quoted by news.com.au.

“Most disappointing, a board member [Ian Healy] started to attack me, which was really disappointing for me, because I feel like the board has a responsibility to the organisation and the players, and that was extremely disappointing.”

Khawaja attended the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne during Queensland’s Sheffield Shield match, but says everyone knew about his hamstring injury.

“The first and foremost thing was Joey [Dawes] said that the medical staff had no idea. That is 100 per cent wrong,” Khawaja said.

“I’ve talked to both (Queensland) physios. I’ve talked to the Australian physio. I was talking to the Australian physio the whole time. It’s on AMS, our athlete management system. My hammy (injury) is reported. Everything is there. Everyone knew about it.

“That was probably one of the most shocking things I heard said. It was really disappointing because it’s categorically untrue, so I just wanted to clear that up. (They) 100 per cent knew about my hammy injury.”

Khawaja also revealed he battled through the hamstring injury and left Cyclone-threatened Queensland to play against Tasmania in Hobart earlier this month. The opener said his wife, Rachel, encouraged him to play the game despite the weather threat at home. The Bulls won that match by nine wickets, with Khawaja hitting 127 and 33*.

“(Dawes) talked about the medical stuff, which I was flabbergasted about. The other bit about me not wanting to play for Queensland, and there’s other blokes around, was probably the most disheartening thing,” said Khawaja.

“The amount I’ve given to Queensland, just like Joey would have given … you give your heart and soul for this organisation.

“I played through the Tassie game with an injury, I knew it was a do-or-die game, but more so I left my family before Cyclone Alfred was going to hit.

“I sat down with my wife, and this is hand-on-heart the true story, and I was like, ‘I should stay, my family is in Sydney, your family is up the coast, I don’t want you to be home alone if something happens,’ and she dead looked me in the face and said ‘Uzzie, Queensland Cricket has given you so much, you owe it to them to play, we’ve got great neighbours, they’ll look after me if anything happens… we’ll be fine’.”

“And to be honest my wife is probably more angry than anyone else, because she’s the one who actually told me to get on the plane and go play Tassie.

“So for Joey Dawes to come out and say I don’t care and I don’t make sacrifices (for Queensland), I left my family here during a cyclone,” he said.

Will Usman Khawaja play in the Sheffield Shield Final?

Khawaja said he will be available for selection for the Sheffield Shield Final, which begins on Wednesday, March 26 at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide. Queensland finished the season in second, behind high-flying South Australia who have already won the Dean Jones One Day Trophy this season.

Khawaja said he has been working hard on getting his hamstring right.

“It’s not by any coincidence that I’m 38 years old (and still playing). Behind the scenes there’s a lot of work, I do a lot of work and I’m very professional with what I do,” Khawaja said.

“So I understand people look at it (the pictures at the F1) and they don’t have all the facts and the optics look bad, but I think that’s what was frustrating about it and the reason why I had to speak out.”

Queensland were the last team other than Western Australia to win the Sheffield Shield, back in 2020/21. South Australia’s wait goes back much further to 1995/96 where they beat Western Australia in the Final.