{"id":961755,"date":"2026-11-12T11:56:13","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T11:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/961755\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T11:56:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T11:56:13","slug":"aussie-cricket-legend-explodes-at-usman-khawaja-over-controversial-f1-image","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/961755\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie cricket legend explodes at Usman Khawaja over controversial F1 image"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aussie legend Ian Healy has hit back at Usman Khawaja as they reignite their feud over an appearance at the Melbourne Grand Prix two years ago.<\/p>\n

Khawaja, 39, has sent shockwaves through the sport with fresh Sandpapergate revelations in his book Sabr in which he claims the entire Aussie team knew about the cheating, and that the covert tactic was used prior to the infamous Cape Town Test match.<\/p>\n

Be the first to know when news breaks. Download our new app<\/a><\/p>\n

But the ex-Aussie batsman\u2019s airing of grievances extend beyond Sandpapergate.<\/p>\n

Khawaja also addressed Healy\u2019s criticism of his decision to attend the 2024 Melbourne Grand Prix rather than play for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.<\/p>\n

Kayo Sports is giving you the first innings of the Australia v England ODI Series for FREE. Watch LIVE and FREE on Kayo Freebies Friday from 2:30PM AEDT.<\/a><\/p>\n

At the time of the comments, Khawaja insisted he had a minor hamstring injury, while he also claimed he had agreed with Cricket Australia he was not going to play in the match.<\/p>\n

Now he has described Healy as having \u201cabsolutely nailed\u2019\u2019 him for being pictured at the Grand Prix, and accused the former Aussie wicketkeeper of making it sound as though \u201cI was only worried about myself and not giving back\u201d.<\/p>\n

Healy, though, who is deputy chairman of Queensland Cricket, has not taken those comments lying down.<\/p>\n

Speaking on SENQ on Thursday, he said: \u201cI didn\u2019t know he was going to the Grand Prix and neither did his team.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t even tell the team why he wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tested him structurally and his functionality and they said there is no hammy (hamstring injury) you are right to play. He did not say that in his book.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they said \u2018Let\u2019s get it scanned this afternoon\u2019 and he refused to get it scanned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I was going on and it was a shame he does not support his team better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healy, who played 119 Tests and scored more than 4,000 runs for Australia, also went on to claim the Grand Prix incident was not his only run-in with Khawaja over missing Queensland games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a go at him another time, as did all our former players, for not playing in Adelaide for a Sheffield Shield game which was on a Test pitch a fortnight later,\u2019\u2019 Healy added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one that might have been the straw which broke the camel\u2019s back was this Grand Prix one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khawaja\u2019s claims that the Aussie squad used sandpaper in the first Test of the 2018 South Africa series has put Australian cricket into a blender.<\/p>\n

David Warner, who was banned alongside Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, has supported Khawaja\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n

Former coach Darren Lehmann and bowler Mitchell Starc have denied any knowledge of the incident, while captain Pat Cummins is due to face the media on Friday morning.<\/p>\n

\"Stuart<\/p>\n

Khawaja\u2019s book also claims he and Warner were both furious about an unnamed fast-bowler\u2019s TV appearance where he distanced himself from the three banned players.<\/p>\n

Code Sports revealed Khawaja was referring to Josh Hazlewood.<\/p>\n

In the book, Khawaja says: \u201cOne of the bowlers went on The Back Page TV show (screened on Fox Sports) and was asked point blank if he\u2019d known anything about the ball tampering.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe flat out denied it. David was seething, and understandably so. I remember him texting me and sending the clip.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mind the guys staying quiet. Hell, I was doing the same thing. But to come out and say that on live TV really p***ed me off. If you aren\u2019t willing to tell the whole story, just stay quiet.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Originally published as Aussie cricket legend explodes at Usman Khawaja over controversial F1 image<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aussie legend Ian Healy has hit back at Usman Khawaja as they reignite their feud over an 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