An open Usman Khawaja has admitted he could’ve retired two years ago amid calls he could’ve played his last Test for Australia.
Khawaja’s spot in the team has become a major talking point due to Travis Head’s success at the top of the order and the 38-year-old’s back injury.
The opener is now ready to go for Adelaide and in contention, however whether he’s picked remains to be seen.
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Khawaja told media on Saturday that “I could’ve retired two years ago” and that he’s “not here to hang on” after responding to the speculation around his future.
Usman Khawaja speaks to media. Nine
“I’ve got to be totally honest, it doesn’t really faze me,” he said.
“I’m the guy that as much as people sometimes want to have a crack at me, I love playing for Australia, I’m still very committed, still every game I take the same way as I took 10 years ago: train hard, do everything right.
“For me, it’s irrelevant, and more about being a professional. People can have opinions, absolutely no worries to me, but I can’t really sit down and worry what other people think, especially outside of the squad and the people I care about.”
In the wash-up of Head’s hundred in Perth, the South Australian revealed he’d been lobbying for a shift up the order for two years since David Warner retired.
However, Khawaja doesn’t think Head’s been pushing that case too strongly.
“I think Travis said he’d been quietly lobbying. It was more a case of Heady always said, ‘If you need me to open, I’ll open’,” Khawaja said.
“I had a joke with [Andrew McDonald about it]. I was like, ‘Quietly lobbying – that’s one of the quietest lobbyings I’ve heard’, and he had a giggle too and was like, ‘Yeah’,” he added with a smile.
Australia’s Usman Khawaja (right) speaks with Australia head coach Andrew McDonald (left) during a nets session in Brisbane. PA Images via Getty Images
“Heady’s a team player … but it’s not like he was at the back knocking on doors saying, ‘I want to open’. If you’re batting five you’re quite content, so I think that was taken out of context a bit.”
Khawaja’s predicament has been compared to Warner’s retirement after it was described as a farewell tour.
“I think David declared his six months out, didn’t he? So how am I being put in the same boat?” he smiled.
“I’m just trying to play cricket for Australia, talk around farewell Tests is irrelevant to me.”
David Warner and Usman Khawaja in 2024. Getty
As for the back injury, Khawaja first copped a blow when Australia was fielding at Perth and was constantly going off the field in England’s first innings.
His absence led to him not being able to open, with Marnus Labuschagne shifting up the order.
The injury happened again when he attempted a catch in the second innings which led to Head’s promotion.
Khawaja put the injury down to flying.
“I’ve never enjoyed doing stuff on the day of flights anyway,” Khawaja said.
“I’ll probably be a bit more cautionary about that now because I think that was half the reason why what happened, happened in Perth – a long flight. We had a six-hour flight and there was a bit of a delay that didn’t help. I did feel sore after it, so I’ll always be mindful of flights.
“I smacked them in the nets [in Brisbane], I was crunching them, even Beau [Webster] next to me was [saying], ‘Geez, you’re hitting them good’, and I was like, ‘Yeah, but my back was sore’. It was still two days out and my back was still very stiff, and it was just too hard – I didn’t want to start a game, the risk was too high. With the selectors, we sat down and had a chat afterwards, and it was still hurting.”
Khawaja also caused a stir when it was revealed he played golf three times in the lead-up to the first Test.
Many made the connection between his back spasms and that preparation.
“The golf one, [it’s] not really important to me what other people say. I’ve always been a professional,” he said.
In a busy few weeks, Khawaja also called the Perth pitch a “piece of shit” at his foundation’s function, with Cricket Australia Todd Greenberg holding a meeting with him over those comments.
“The wicket one was not really a big issue for me. I talked to Todd about it, like adults, and it was all sorted. I think it was more of an issue for the media and everyone else, if I’m being truly honest, but it’s all resolved, no issues,” he said.