Australian batter Steve Smith defended Usman Khawaja against criticism regarding his preparation for the first Ashes Test, where Khawaja experienced back spasms. Smith stated that singling out Khawaja's long-standing preparation methods due to an occasional injury was unfair. Khawaja, who is retiring after the fifth Ashes Test, also addressed feeling "different" and facing criticism throughout his career as the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia.