MELBOURNE: Australia head coach and selector Andrew McDonald has confirmed veteran batter Usman Khawaja will feature in the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, dismissing speculation that the match could mark the end of his international career.
At 39, Khawaja is the oldest member of Australia’s ageing squad and has come under scrutiny after being pushed down the batting order, with Travis Head promoted to open. Khawaja batted at number four in Adelaide and number five in Melbourne as selectors began weighing up future options.
Despite reports suggesting Sydney could be his farewell, McDonald said no such conversations had taken place. “There’s no indication at my end that he’s calling it in Sydney,” McDonald said in Melbourne. “His performance this calendar year has been good enough to warrant selection, so I’d say he’ll be there marking centre in Sydney.”
Khawaja, who has not publicly addressed his future, returned to Queensland for a short family break ahead of the Test starting January 4. The 87-Test veteran missed the second Ashes match with back spasms but has averaged just over 30 in the series, including a crucial 82 in Adelaide that helped Australia clinch the Ashes.
While his scores of 29 and 0 in Melbourne drew criticism, Khawaja’s series numbers compare favourably with several teammates, including Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green, underlining why selectors continue to place their faith in the experienced left-hander.
