Usman Khawaja’s delayed arrival at the crease on Day 1 of the Ashes 1st Test has sparked widespread curiosity among fans — and now officials have clarified exactly why the Australian opener was barred from opening the innings.
According to match officials, Khawaja spent extended time off the field during England’s first innings due to a combination of toilet breaks, a hand issue, and later, discomfort in his back. He had been struggling since the morning session, periodically walking off for treatment and recovery.
Under ICC regulations, any player who leaves the field for a significant duration must serve an equivalent amount of penalty time before being allowed to bat. Since Khawaja’s total off-field time added up to 23 minutes, he was not permitted to open the innings and had to wait until the restriction expired.
This meant Australia were forced to send Marnus Labuschagne as a makeshift opener, while Khawaja watched from the dressing room.
Only after completing his full penalty time — which coincided with Labuschagne’s dismissal — was Khawaja officially allowed to walk out to bat.
Officials stated:
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Khawaja first left the field for a toilet break
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Later suffered a hand issue, prompting treatment
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Subsequently experienced back stiffness, requiring further time off
All three incidents combined contributed to the time he spent off the field, triggering the penalty under the laws.
Khawaja finally walked in at 28/2, restoring some normalcy to Australia’s batting order — but not before England capitalised on the situation with early breakthroughs.
