Officials from Cricket Australia are scheduled to meet with Usman Khawaja this week to discuss his recent criticism of the Perth pitch. The opener’s candid remarks, describing the pitch as a “piece of s**t,” have prompted the governing body to consider possible sanctions.

Khawaja’s comments came as a surprise on Friday, particularly as they followed closely on the heels of the ICC’s decision to award the Perth surface its highest rating of “very good.” The remarks were made during a fundraising event for the Usman Khawaja Foundation, where the seasoned Test player expressed dissatisfaction with the pitch’s inconsistent bounce during Australia’s recent eight-wicket victory.

Cricket Australia officials, reportedly taken aback by Khawaja’s blunt critique, plan to address the issue with him during the team’s preparations for the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. The organization is keen to understand his perspective while weighing the potential need for disciplinary action.

The Perth Test holds particular significance as it was the shortest in Australia in nearly a century, and the second shortest in the country’s history. The match concluded with a mere 847 balls being bowled, which has added to the ongoing conversation about the quality of the pitch.

The Perth Test was the shortest in Australia in 93 years, and the second shortest of all time in the country, with just 847 balls bowled in the entire match.

Usman Khawaja (pictured with wife Rachel) blasted the Perth pitch as a ‘piece of s**t’ despite the International Cricket Council giving the wicket its highest possible rating

The out-of-form batter will now be sweating on an upcoming meeting with Cricket Australia, at which he’ll have to explain himself as he faces possible sanctions for the remark

‘Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit. That’s a great wicket, that seems real fair,’ Khawaja said at the luncheon.

‘The same thing happened last year in the India Test. It’s just that day-one wicket, the ball just does not react.

‘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, (yet) he’s getting hit in the elbow.

‘So day-one wicket at Perth is a piece of shit, I’m happy to say that. Has been last year, it was this year.’

CA this week praised the wicket, with chief of cricket James Allsopp saying the ICC’s rating had justified head office’s view that the pitch provided ‘a fair balance between bat and ball’.

The rating also shone a light on the tourists’ poor batting, which was labelled ‘brainless’ by the likes of former England opener Geoffrey Boycott after they faced just 68.3 overs across two innings.

But Khawaja was adamant the Perth pitch was still not good enough, with the 38-year-old’s main issue being variable bounce.

English stars celebrate taking Khawaja’s wicket in the first innings of the Perth Test, with the Aussie later blasting the track’s unpredictable bounce 

Khawaja, 38, was unable to open the batting for Australia in Perth after spending too much time off the field being treated for back spasms

‘You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest. Sideways is a little bit easier,’ he said.

‘But up and down, your hands can’t catch up.

‘They do get better. Day two, day three and then day four, they start to crack up and cure again.

‘Whenever we play at Perth, it’s one of the few places we win the toss, bat first, hoping that we can bat again maybe at the end of day two and into day three.’

Khawaja’s talk with officials comes with pressure on his spot at the top of the order, with concerns over both his fitness and form in Perth.

Back spasms meant he was unable to open for Australia in either innings in Perth, allowing for Travis Head to score a match-winning century in the fourth-innings chase.

Khawaja is confident he will be fit to play in Brisbane, with his back having improved, while also insisting he had paid no attention to calls for him to be dropped from the side and Head moved up to open the batting.