‘No end date’ on Khawaja as Cummins backs veteran opener to play on
Pat Cummins has indicated Usman Khawaja’s dream of a home Ashes farewell is still alive, insisting he is batting as well as ever.
Khawaja’s future remains a point of debate following Australia’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy win, after Michael Clarke called for the opener to retire at the SCG Test.
Khawaja has made no secret of his desire to play through to next summer’s Ashes, by which point he would be 39 and Australia’s oldest Test cricketer since Bob Holland almost 40 years ago.
Australia has a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka beginning later this month, a World Test Championship final in June and three Tests in the Caribbean before next summer.
Khawaja passed 50 just once this summer against India, and has not hit a century in his past 31 completed innings dating back to the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes.
He was dismissed six times by Jasprit Bumrah this summer, with the world’s best bowler dominating Australia’s top order.
But Khawaja’s experience came to the fore late in the five-Test series against India, providing a cool head as debutant opener Sam Konstas hit 57 on Boxing Day.
The 38-year-old’s calmness also proved vital at the SCG, holding Australia’s top order together with his second-innings 41 to help Australia chase down a series-clinching 162.
“I felt very comfortable when he was out there batting. He looked so assured,” Cummins said.
“It literally doesn’t get any harder than opening the batting on these pitches against a quality bowling attack. It’s the hardest job in cricket.
“I thought he looked really good at times. Sometimes he got some really good balls. He looks like he’s batting as well as any other time.”
Cummins said Khawaja’s future would not be based on his age but rather his ability to produce runs.
“He didn’t get the runs he would have liked but then you get (the SCG) innings where he shows his maturity and experience is so valuable,” Cummins said.
“He always says age is just a number. [He] took some good catches in the field as well. [He’s] still moving alright.
“There’s no end date from our end. As long as he’s still scoring some runs.”
Khawaja is a renowned player of spin on the sub-continent, and selectors must decide if he and Konstas stay together in Sri Lanka or if Travis Head moves back to open.
Head has done so in Asia in the past with some success in India in 2023, while his move would allow Peter Handscomb or Josh Inglis to come into the middle order.
Handscomb spent time with Australia’s squad during the SCG Test and is a good player of spin, while Inglis is recovering from a minor calf strain.
Australia’s players will begin to leave for a training camp in the UAE from January 18, with batters expected to filter back into the BBL for regular-season games before then.
AAP
