2 weeks Ago
Australian opener Usman Khawaja is wary of holding onto his place in the Test side too long, but he admits another Ashes series in Australia next year is in his sights — and he could even play on past it. Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
It has been 40 years since someone has represented Australia at the age of 39 or older at Test level when Bob Holland played against India in the 1985-86 series. Khawaja turns 39 next summer and, without looking too far ahead, is hopeful he will still be playing against England this time next year. With Australia searching for a replacement for David Warner after picking Nathan McSweeney from nowhere, keeping Khawaja’s experience could prove vital in ushering in the new wave of young Australian openers.
Sam Konstas is considered a certainty to play for Australia in the future, but at 19 might need a couple of strong Shield seasons to get him ready for Test cricket. Keeping Khawaja as a rock at the top of the order could buy Australia valuable time while Konstas develops and McSweeney hopefully matures into a consistent opener at Test level. Speaking with Wide World of Sports , Khawaja said he tries to put the team first and focus on scoring runs and let the rest take care of itself.
“It’s actually the opposite; I try to stop myself doing that [clinging to his place in the side] as much as possible,” Khawaja said. MORE CRICKET NEWS LIVE BLOG: India duo dropped for first Test against Australia ‘SEE HOW IMPORTANT LYON IS’: Legend ‘surprised’ by India’s bombshell snub PREDICTIONS: Bolter ‘could get a Test’; why under-pressure legend is ‘due’ “I think everything’s got an end, there’s an expiry date on everything, and when you hold on too tight you stop focusing on the things that matter. I’m still out there, I’m trying to score as many runs as I can, trying to put my team in the best positions to win games, and I don’t want to be thinking, ‘I want to play for Australia for this many games, that many games’.
” Khawaja has scored 5,451 runs at an average of 45.80, including 15 centuries and 26 50s in his 73 Tests. He could have played many more Tests had he not been dropped by a lengthy stint under former coach Justin Langer.
Khawaja has played like a man making up for lost time since being recalled to the team and scoring two hundreds in his return Test and he hasn’t looked back. The star opener now feels he could play for another three years if his body lets him. “I’m still enjoying it.
I’ve said all along, if I stop enjoying it, my body gives up or something happens, I’ll be sure to pull the pin,” Khawaja said. “But I don’t really think about that and I don’t know when it’s going to be. It could be in one game’s time, it could be in three years’ time.
” Australia have a busy schedule over the next year, before the Ashes start and Khawaja wants to take it a series at a time, but he admits he would love another shot at England after their drawn series on English soil in 2023. “I don’t want to look too far ahead but I’d like to play another Ashes,” Khawaja said. “I don’t think I’m expiring.
“We have these five games coming up [against India], we have Sri Lanka, potentially a World Test Championship [final], then we have a series in the West Indies, then after all of that we have the series against England, the Ashes. So it’s so far away. “.
.. I love playing cricket, I’m still enjoying it, I’d love to play another Ashes and that’s certainly on the cards, but also, just let me play one game at a time.
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