The opening Test of the 2025–26 The Ashes at Perth Stadium concluded in just two days — yet the pitch was awarded the highest possible rating, “very good,” by the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to the match-referee’s grade, the surface offered “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match.”
Despite 32 wickets falling over six sessions and the match finishing far sooner than expected, the wicket was judged to have provided a fair contest between bat and ball. This rating has sparked debate, given the match’s dramatic collapse of batsmen and the dangerous bounce that many players encountered.
Criticism from Within: On-ground Reactions
Among the most vocal critics was Usman Khawaja, who played in the match and publicly slammed the surface. He reportedly described the wicket as a “piece of s***,” pointing to the steep, unpredictable bounce and the sheer number of wickets — 19 on the first day alone — as evidence.
Khawaja even recalled watching a fellow batsman, Steve Smith, get struck on the elbow due to uneven bounce, underlining his contention that the pitch presented a danger to players.
He tempered his remarks slightly by noting that the wicket “tends to play a bit better” in the following days — but maintained that the opening-day behaviour of the pitch was unacceptable.
Double Standards? Sunil Gavaskar Speaks Out
Responding to the contrasting assessments, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar leveled a strong critique against what he called the hypocrisy of global cricket commentary. Gavaskar pointed out that while the Perth pitch escaped serious criticism — even earning the ICC’s top rating — subcontinental tracks often face harsh scrutiny when they favour spin or operate differently.
In his column, he wrote: “There’s one person who differs with that rating … Usman Khawaja called the pitch a ‘piece of shit’.”
Gavaskar argued that playing on turning tracks should demand at least as much skill and footwork — if not more — than adapting to seaming, bouncy wickets. “If you don’t score runs on such surfaces, you are not a great batter,” he asserted.
He suggested that the cricket world tends to value performance on pace-friendly wickets more than on turning pitches — exposing what he sees as a bias rooted in geography and tradition.
In challenging this double standard, Gavaskar urged fans and pundits to pay equal respect to performances achieved on all kinds of surfaces — whether they’re quick, bouncy decks or slow, spin-friendly tracks.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
