'Refused to get it scanned' - Ian Healy hits back at Usman Khawaja over Sheffield Shield absence

Former Australia cricketer and deputy chairman of Queensland cricket Ian Healy has publicly disputed Usman Khawaja's version of events surrounding a Sheffield Shield absence. The disagreement centres on Khawaja's decision to miss a Queensland fixture in 2024 when he attended the Australian Grand Prix instead of playing domestic cricket. Healy has stated that the former opener did not provide the full context in his recently released book Sabr.

Khawaja, a former Australian opener now aged 39, addressed the incident in his book and stated that he had been criticised heavily by Healy at the time. Khawaja felt that Healy's remarks carried an implication that he was prioritising personal interests over his commitment to the team. The former player used his book to provide his perspective on the disagreement that occurred during his playing days.

Healy outlined his version of events, explaining the circumstances that led to his criticism. According to Healy, Khawaja initially did not inform the Queensland team about the reason for his unavailability. Healy consulted with medical staff and high-performance officials within the Queensland dressing room to understand the situation.

"He didn't even tell the team why he wasn't playing. I sussed it out with all sorts of medicos in our dressing room and the head of our high performance and they denied the injury," Healy was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

What did Healy claim about Khawaja's fitness and the refused scan?

Medical assessments conducted by Queensland personnel found no structural or functional hamstring injury, according to Healy's account. He explained that after testing, the medical team concluded Khawaja was fit to play. When Queensland proposed a scan to investigate further, Healy claimed that Khawaja refused to undergo the imaging.

"They tested him structurally and his functionality, and they said there is no hammy; you are right to play. Then they said, 'Let's get it scanned this afternoon,' and he refused to get it scanned," he added.

Khawaja's book has also reignited discussion about other historical events in Australian cricket. The 39-year-old made claims in his book that the entire Australian team possessed knowledge of sandpaper use during the Cape Town Test against South Africa in 2018.

Khawaja further stated that Australia had also used the object on the ball in the preceding Test in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha.

These revelations sparked fresh debate within Australian cricket circles about knowledge and accountability surrounding the Sandpapergate scandal. David Warner, who was central to that controversy, received a one-year suspension and a lifetime leadership ban from international and Australian domestic cricket, though that leadership ban was later overturned in 2024.