‘Piece of sh*t’ controversy, ‘eye black’ experiment, and batting order relevance

<p>Usman Khawaja has unloaded on the Perth pitch. How justified is the spicy criticism and how much is reputation management? The opener is racing to be fit, but the conversation has centred on whether Travis Head should open. </p><p>The South Australian believes batting orders are overrated and Pat Cummins agrees. Steve Smith is trialling NFL style ‘eye black’ will it make a difference? One factor that will matter is the absence of English tearaway Mark Wood, the boys discuss how England could adapt their approach in Brisbane.</p><p>PLUS, the team hit international cricket, Sheffield Shield and Ellyse Perry doing Ellyse Perry things in the WBBL.</p><p>Across the 2025-26 Ashes series, ABC Grandstand cricket commentator Corbin Middlemas is joined by Ed Cowan to bring you all the highlights and match analysis to keep you up to speed. The pair discuss the key players and big issues that are dominating the cricket agenda. Whether it's Ashes results, the latest in live fixtures or you just...