New Delhi: Veteran Australia batter Usman Khawaja has expressed a desire to play in another Ashes series before retiring. The opener has recently featured for Australia in their 3-1 win over India in the Border-Gavaskar series.
It was Australia’s first BGT triumph in 10 years that helped them qualify for the World Test Championship final, where they will take on South Africa in June.
Khawaja though didn’t have a productive series at home against India, managing only 184 runs at an average of 20.44 runs over 10 innings. Of his nine dismissal in the series, six were to India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was named the man of the series with 32 wickets.
His poor form raised concerns as he has scored only 458 runs in 20 innings of 10 matches at an average of 22.9 with just two fifties last year, leading to many questioning if he should be included in the side for the five-match Ashes series that is scheduled to begin from November 21.
But the left hander has been included in Australia’s upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka that begins from January 29 and would look to return to form with an eye in the Ashes.
“There’s definitely those thoughts (bowing out in Sydney) in my head, I’m not afraid to talk about that. I’m human. I’d still like to play the Ashes at a bare minimum. I try not to think too far ahead, that’s as far ahead as I’ll think.
“As long as we’re winning, I’m still contributing, my body’s still feeling good, I’ll play. For me it always feels more like one summer at a time (rather than retiring after the Ashes),” he was quoted as saying by roar.com.
Transition phase
The 38-year-old is part of an ageing Aussie squad where all members save debutants Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas are above 29. He acknowledged that his time would be up in the coming years though he wants to carry on a bit further and wished to bow out.
“Over the next three to four years, there’s going to be a lot of transition going on. I’m quite attuned to that and I still want to play and I want to keep playing for as long as I can. But I also know there might be a right time to slip out in Sydney.
“If I’m still playing and the selectors are like, ‘We feel like the time’s come’, it’s, ‘You let me know and I can slide out’.”
Experienced Australia opener Usman Khawaja wants to play in another Ashes series before retiring, having been part of their 3-1 win over India in the Border-Gavaskar series. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
