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Usman Khawaja has been ruled out of opening the batting in the second innings of the first Ashes Test after his highly controversial back injury flared again on day two.
The 38-year-old was blasted by fans, experts and greats of the game after he failed to join Jake Weatherald to open the first innings on Friday because he had spent too long off the ground receiving treatment for back spasms.
It was then revealed that Khawaja had played 18 holes of golf on Thursday and skipped a non-compulsory team training run, adding fuel to the fire over his absence and seeing him branded 'selfish' by Aussie supporters.
The sore-looking veteran trudged off the field again on Saturday to receive more treatment with England struggling at 6-104 in their second dig.
The 38-year-old had dropped a catch at slip earlier in the innings, with the missed chance placing further pressure on Khawaja to keep his spot ahead of the likes of Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis.
He leaped up in a vain effort to latch onto a skied shot by English wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, and was grimacing as he walked to the dressing rooms shortly afterwards.
Usman Khawaja was grimacing as he came from the field late in England's second innings after his back flared up again
The 38-year-old (pictured leaving the field on Saturday) was ruled out of opening the batting in Australia's second innings due to the injury
Khawaja is pictured on his way to play golf with Steve Smith last year. The fact he played 18 holes on Thursday, then had his back flare up, has seen him get slammed by Aussie fans
Comments like this came thick and fast online after the news of Khawaja's day on the links became public
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg defended Khawaja's decision to play golf with Mitchell Starc.
'It (playing golf before a Test) has held him in good stead over the last couple of years. It's not uncommon for a lot of them to play golf a day prior,' Greenberg told SEN.
'Did that correlate to any of the issues? I personally don't think so.
'Usman's a very seasoned campaigner, he knows his body well, and he knows how to get himself prepared for cricket. So I think that (saying golf was to blame) is drawing a long bow.
'A lot of people talk about cricket being played between the ears.
'So getting some time away from being in your hotel or at training I think is really important.'
Khawaja wasn't the only ageing star to be forced from the pitch on Saturday.
Spinner Nathan Lyon had to get treatment after being struck on the hip by a Mark Wood delivery and didn't send down a single delivery as England were all out for 164.
'Uzzie' wasn't the only ageing Aussie to suffer injury problems on day two in Perth, with spinner Nathan Lyon (pictured) failing to bowl a single ball due to a hip problem
His absence hurt Australia as Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse went on the attack, building a partnership of 50 from just 34 balls.
Khawaja's absence in the first innings left debutant opener Jake Weatherald partnered with Marnus Labuschagne, who has next to no experience in the position.
Weatherald fell for a duck to Jofra Archer, then Khawaja fell for just two as the Aussie innings became an unmitigated disaster.
'Usman Khawaja just cemented himself as the most selfish cricketer in the game,' one Aussie fan wrote on X.
'Better rest him for the remainder of the series, I reckon,' added another.
'In other words, he's not 100% fit and we were screwed because of it. It's time to go please Ussie. You've done well coming back but we need youth and someone who will score more than 10 runs a session,' commented a third.
'If it took fielding in the slips for a couple of hours to send his back into spasms, he's done. Retire now. I can only imagine the turmoil it put in Weatherald's mind in his first Test innings. Time to go…NOW,' another wrote.
Australia's ageing team was a major worry going into the series opener, and the Khawaja episode has put a rocket under those concerns.
The initial confusion surrounding Khawaja's stint off the field led to a wave of criticism from experts and fans alike.
'They've obviously been caught off-guard, which is the last thing that Marnus wanted, the last thing that Jake wanted,' former Test skipper Ricky Ponting told Channel Seven.
