Australia made an unexpected change at the top of the order in the first Ashes Test in Perth after umpires barred Usman Khawaja from opening the innings. Instead, debutant Jake Weatherald walked out alongside Marnus Labuschagne, leaving fans confused about Khawaja’s absence.
The reason is straightforward and comes directly from cricket’s playing conditions.
Why Khawaja was not allowed to open
During England’s first innings, Khawaja spent extended time off the field, triggering ICC’s Substitution and Timing Restrictions rule. As per the regulations, if a fielder is off the field for a significant duration, they cannot bat until they have spent the same amount of time back on the field once their team starts batting.
Since Khawaja had not completed the required time on the field before Australia began batting, the umpires prohibited him from opening the innings.
What the rule means
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If a player is off the field for X minutes,
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He must spend X minutes on the field again before he becomes eligible to bat.
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Until then, he cannot bat higher than the position he becomes eligible for.
This is why the umpiring team informed Australia that Khawaja was temporarily ineligible, forcing a change in the batting order.
Australia’s reshuffle
With Khawaja sidelined at the start, Weatherald opened the innings while Marnus Labuschagne moved up to partner him. Khawaja will be able to bat later in the innings once his off-field time has been compensated.
