Khawaja to front media amid retirement speculation
Scott Bailey |
Usman Khawaja is expected to make a call on his future as early as Friday, with the Test veteran to front a media conference at the SCG before training.
Cricket Australia officials confirmed on Thursday night that Khawaja would address media early on Friday morning, with his future beyond the Sydney Test unclear.
Khawaja’s future in Test cricket has remained one of the hottest topics of this summer’s Ashes series, after he turned 39 last month.
Officials are yet to confirm if Khawaja will announce his retirement, but the 87-Test veteran’s future is certain to be a major talking point with Australia 3-1 up in the series headed into the final Test.
Players regularly front press conferences in the days leading up to Tests, but the fact no player had initially been named to do so on Friday had raised eyebrows.
A schedule release late on Thursday night then confirmed Khawaja would be the player to fulfil daily media duties.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald had on Monday locked in Khawaja’s spot in the side for the SCG Test, but would not guarantee the left-hander’s future beyond that.
Tellingly, McDonald also suggested selectors could have a decision to make before Australia’s next Test series against Bangladesh in August around Khawaja’s future.
If Khawaja does bow out at the SCG against England it would be a fitting location, given it was there he made his Test debut in the 2010-11 Ashes series.
Khawaja moved to Sydney from Pakistan as a child, and scored his first Ashes century there with 171 against England in 2018.
It was also at that the SCG where he revived his career as a 35-year-old, scoring twin centuries against England when Travis Head missed a Test in 2022 through COVID.
That prompted one of the great late-career revivals, hitting seven centuries in his first two years back in the side.
Khawaja’s position had come under more scrutiny this summer, after being unable to open in the first Ashes Test Perth due to back spasms then missing the Brisbane Test with the injury.
He was then initially left out in Adelaide before Steve Smith’s vertigo allowed him to return, before an 82 in the first innings ensured he would stay in the side for the fourth Test in Melbourne.
If Khawaja does announce his retirement, he will become just the second player to walk away while still in the Australian Test team in the last decade, after David Warner’s exit two summers ago.
USMAN KHAWAJA’S TEST CAREER:
Tests: 87
Runs: 6206
Average: 43.39
Centuries: 16
Half-centuries: 28
AAP
