Khawaja, 38, was forced off the field late in England\u2019s first innings on Friday, and although he did re\u2011enter the field before it ended, ICC regulations meant he had not spent sufficient time back on the field to be eligible to open the batting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
As a result, Marnus Labuschagne was pushed up to open alongside debutant Jake Weatherald, with captain Steve Smith slotted in at number three. Khawaja eventually came in at number four, but made only two runs. On day two, Khawaja fielded through the overs without any discomfort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
CA clarified that the spasms were a new injury for Khawaja, who turns 39 next month, and was unrelated to the golf sessions he featured in the run-up to the game. \"It (playing golf) 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.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"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 is drawing a long bow. A lot of people talk about cricket being played between the ears.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"So getting some time away from being in your hotel or at training I think is really important. I noticed Mitch Starc played golf with him, so it certainly didn't impact his performance,\" said Greenberg on SEN Radio on Saturday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"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 is drawing a long bow. A lot of people talk about cricket being played between the ears.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat\u2019s exactly how Andrew McDonald and the team have functioned over a long period of time and they\u2019ve been very successful on that. The individual performance inside a team environment, and then ultimately you\u2019re held accountable for your performance. That\u2019s mature and that\u2019s the current approach,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n