Khawaja's celebration ignites debate

Usman Khawaja’s ‘dab’ half-century celebration has sent social media into a spin in the evening of day four at the SCG.

Khawaja brought up his eight Test fifty in the 23rd over of Australia’s second innings, and to celebrate the milestone, the left-hander ‘dabbed’ as he acknowledged the applause from the crowd and his teammates.

The light-hearted gesture was a nod to his teammates whom had been discussing the popular maneuver during the third Test.  

"We've been joking about it (the dab) all week," Khawaja said. "Renners (Matt Renshaw) and a few of the other lads have been talking about it so when I got to fifty I thought 'just dab.'

Asked whether he will do it again, the left-hander said: "If I get a hundred then it'll be a super dab but I guess we'll have to wait for that."

However, the move could hurt Khawaja in the pocket with Josh Hazlewood confirming the team's Fines Committee will investigate the act at their next meeting.

"I’m part of the Fines Committee and we’re not allowed to fine people for on-field things, but that might be up for discussion next meeting," Hazlewood said.

"It’s all good fun. He’s just trying to do something different compared to everyone else. It’s pretty funny."

Wikipedia defines the ‘dab’ as “a dance move in which the dancer simultaneously drops the head while raising an arm and the elbow in a gesture that has been noted to resemble sneezing” with its origins traced back to the Atlanta hip-hop scene.

Khawaja’s version of the phenomenon has sparked a debate on social media, with some praising the move while others have accused the Australia of disrespecting Pakistan.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a cricket dab in celebration after Khawaja’s former NSW teammate Moises Henriques pulled out the move when he scored a century against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield in November last year.