Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja defends extreme bum grab during national anthem

Advance Australia Fear: The Australian side gets carried away during the national anthem. Photo / Supplied / Crowd Goes Wild

The Australian cricketers might be the self-proclaimed masters of sledging but they have also revealed a "softer" side.

A video, posted on the Crowd Goes Wild's Facebook page, has emerged of batsman Usman Khawaja fondling leg-spinner Adam Zampa's derriere as the national anthems played ahead of last Saturday's one-day international at Wellington's Cake Tin.

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The rest of the Australian players were linked arm-in-arm but Khawaja, presumably in an attempt to calm the nerves of Zampa who was making his debut, went for the more personal touch.

It seemed to work for Zampa, who claimed 2 for 57 from his 10 overs on debut.
Khawaja, who was recalled for the match after being controversially left out for the opening one-dayer, scored a half-century in Australia's four-wicket win that levelled the series 1-1.

When asked on Twitter about the incident, Khawaja replied: "Haha it was all consensual. Just having a joke with the debutant."

He added: "Oh boy. Didn't realise there were cameras filming from behind."