Test opener Usman Khawaja says he’ll all the time arise for himself and his teammates if followers cross the road with their abuse following an Ashes collection marred by ugly altercations between English supporters and Australian gamers.
Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne copped abuse from a fan as they have been leaving the sector in the course of the remaining Test on the Oval the place they have been accused of enjoying “boring” cricket in a collection that completed 2-2.
But the ugliest second got here within the second Test at Lord’s when members of the Marylebone Cricket Club hurled vile abuse and bought within the faces of Australian gamers after English wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped.
Several members of the unique membership have been suspended after video footage confirmed them calling Australian gamers “cheats” in an aggressive tirade that earnt the ire of Khawaja and his teammates.
There’s lengthy been a mutual respect between the 2 groups, with the 2005 collection taking place as the best in historical past as England lastly regained the Urn after weeks of drama, however Khawaja says the current tour crossed a line.
“The English summer this time was very different. This was my third English summer away for the Ashes and I’ve been there for a World Cup, but this was a different vibe,” he stated.
“It was a little nastier than anything I’ve experienced in the past and a little bit more in your face.
“I don’t know if that was because of the whole Bazball thing or us being the so-called ‘villains’ over there.
“There’s always been banter over there, but it’s usually more respectful. Maybe that’s where the game is going, and if that’s where it is, then that’s a bit unfortunate.”
The veteran opener is a lover of all sports activities and has seen crowd interactions get extra heated within the NBA lately, with controversial celebrity Kyrie Irving typically focused, which has led to spectators getting kicked out of arenas.
He fears it may begin creeping into different sports activities and it’s why Khawaja will proceed to chunk again if he feels that followers are being disrespectful.
“I’ve never been a big fan of the crowd being able to say whatever they want, and that’s in Australia, England or anywhere in the world,” he stated.
“If I feel like they’ve crossed my line – I say my line because I feel everyone’s line is different – and if I feel they’ve gone too far with me, then I’ll always pull them up.
“I’ll never shy away from that because I’m never the guy who will dodge a fight. If you’re disrespectful to me, then I have a right to come back at you.
“I love sport and seeing fans get involved with sport, but I think we still have a long way to go.
“We see it a lot in basketball these days when fans get up close and personal, and we’re seeing it in cricket as well when we go to the change rooms and there are people right next to you.
“If you’re in a privileged position where you get to be shoulder to shoulder with the athletes, then you need to be respectful.”
The 36-year-old is lengthy odds to be on the following Ashes tour, however he needn’t fear, with Khawaja signing on to hitch the Fox Cricket commentary group as soon as he retires.
Khawaja has grown up watching Fox Sports and even remembers the outdated channel numbers from when he was a child. He’s promised to carry nothing again when he switches the bat and gloves for the microphone.
“I think I’ll be myself, and without even meaning to I end up stirring the pot a little bit,” he stated.
“I don’t mean to but I just speak openly from the heart.
“I’ve always felt that as long as you’re respectful, then you can voice your opinion how you want to. I’ve always tried to be quite respectful, but I also won’t shy away from hard conversations because I’m not a fence-sitter.
“If I have an opinion then I’ll say it, especially if I feel it’s valid and that it will add something to the conversation.
“On top of that, I’m ready to have some fun. If anyone knows me, I’m all about fun and I try to bring that everywhere. Hopefully, I can bring that into the commentary.”
Originally revealed as ‘I’m by no means the man who will dodge a battle’: Usman Khawaja warns followers following ‘nasty’ Ashes tour
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
