Case of mistaken identity: Australia's Usman Khawaja confused for Pakistan player

Australia batsman Usman Khawaja found himself in the middle of an amusing mix-up ahead of the Brisbane Test against Pakistan, which starts on Thursday.

Shortly before fronting the media earlier today (Tuesday), the batsman was mistaken for a Pakistan player by an official at the Gabba as he was looking to access the team's dressing room.

“So I was waiting downstairs looking to access the dressing room and this Queensland Cricket lady came down and asked me, ‘Oh you need the locker rooms opened?’ and I said, ‘Yes please’”.

“And she started walking to the Pakistani change rooms and  I was like ‘oh man. No, I’m that way, thank you’”, he laughed, recalling the incident.

Khawaja, who was born in Islamabad, moved to Australia before his fifth birthday and received his Australia Test cap in 2011.

As Khawaja prepares to play against the team of his birth for the first time in Tests, a journalist asked him how he feels about the whole thing.

“I haven’t really thought about it that way. Obviously I was born there..it’s a very close part of me.”

But he made it very clear his allegiance lies with Australia.

"If I broke it down, the way I act and what I do is very Australian, but there's always parts of me — when I talk to my parents I try to speak Urdu with them here and there," he said.

"It's not as good as them but they understand what's going on. So it is a big part of my life when I'm with my parents and around my parents,” he was quoted as saying by ABC Radio Australia.

No grudges against Arthur over ´homeworkgate´

Usman Khawaja said  he holds no grudge against Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur over the so-called "homeworkgate" affair ahead of this week's Test series opener against the tourists.

Khawaja was one of four players who were banned for one Test for failing to complete a written task set by Arthur when he was Australia coach during a disastrous tour of India in 2013.

Arthur was subsequently fired by Cricket Australia on the eve of the 2013 Ashes after a run of four defeats and replaced by Darren Lehmann.

Khawaja said it was "water under the bridge".

"I'm not spiteful or vengeful in that sort of respect. Mickey is a very good guy," he told reporters ahead of the day-night opening Test against Pakistan at the Gabba on Thursday.

"I´m not the kind of guy who holds on to grudges. If I get into a fight or I get angry with someone I´m over it (quickly), usually anyway.

"I´m sure if I see Mickey there´ll be no issues, it´ll be fine, everything will be good."

Khawaja heads into the series in top form after his man-of-the-match near-eight hour epic 145 over three days in the first innings of Australia´s win over South Africa in Adelaide last month.

He has amassed 314 runs at 52.33 in three Tests so far this Australian Test season.