ISLAMABAD:  Australia batter Usman Khawaja on Wednesday slammed Mickey Arthur - the manager-to-be of the Pakistan cricket team.

According to media reports, Khawaja has criticized former Australia coach Mickey Arthur for the 'homework' gate controversy that took place during Australia’s tour of India in 2013. Khawaja, along with three others -- James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson, and Shane Watson -- was suspended for one match for not submitting a 'homework' assigned by the then coach, Arthur. The players were assigned to give in writing answers to queries on ways to improve the team's performance, and the four did not submit their answers in time. The left-hander believes Arthur was trying to prioritise everything other than being a better competitor on the field. "All the coaching and support staff with Mickey (Arthur) at the top were trying to concentrate on all the other things, but that wasn't why we were losing," Khawaja said. "At that point, we weren't a more skillful team than India, and that's why we lost. We didn't lose because we weren't fitter than them, we didn't lose because we weren't a better fielding side than them, we were just not as skillful as they (India) were," he said.  Khawaja said he felt like an outsider in the dressing room after the incident. "It was already tough enough for a new guy to fit in the team. And when something like this happens, it just made you feel like you were more of an outsider," he added.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 09 2023

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