\u201c[On] the golf one, [it\u2019s] not really important to me what other people say. I\u2019ve always been a professional,\u201d Khawaja told The Age.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt 100 before the Perth Test. It\u2019s just one of those things; I\u2019ve done everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wicket one was not really a big issue for me. I talked to Todd [Greenberg] 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\u2019m being truly honest, but it\u2019s all resolved, no issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertain things probably do [affect me], certain things probably don\u2019t. I get told more from vibes of what other people have read. It\u2019s not like I go out reading things, it\u2019s the vibe. Then sometimes things just pop up and you can\u2019t hide from it, absolutely. Certain things do and don\u2019t [affect me], but I don\u2019t see the relevance in talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khawaja\u2019s only road back into the team had seemingly been at the top of the order, which looked decidedly rocky given how new opening pair Travis Head and Jake Weatherald have fared.<\/p>\n
\u201cNormally people that open aren\u2019t as attuned to No.5 as opening because they\u2019re not as good at playing spin. But I\u2019ve proven I\u2019m one of the best players of spin in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy subcontinent record is one of the best ever for Australia, so that\u2019s never been the issue. I can bat anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khawaja, who has a golden chance to help retain the urn with victory in the third Test if recalled, highlighted the running, batting and gym work he did as Australia cruised to victory in Brisbane.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you get injured, you have to do more, right? If I wasn\u2019t injured, I could have just gone on Contiki for a week and just chilled,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously hope to play. I don\u2019t really know. I haven\u2019t really had a chat too much with the selectors.<\/p>\n
![\"Australian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/730a5d68be514c001e1d8def069635462432291d.jpg\")
Australian coach Andrew McDonald speaks with Usman Khawaja during day four of the Second 2025\/26 Ashes Series Test Match Credit: Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not my decision. The older I\u2019ve got, the more comfortable I\u2019ve got with things that I can control and things that I can\u2019t. I feel really good in terms of I\u2019m ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
But coach Andrew McDonald floated the prospect of Khawaja batting in the middle order after Australia took a 2-0 series lead.<\/p>\n
The veteran has played the vast majority of his 85-Test career in the top three, with two innings at No.4, two at No.5 and three at No.6.<\/p>\n
Ironically, those two knocks at No.5 came in the 2021-22 Ashes, when he was recalled from Test exile because Head contracted COVID-19 and was an enforced omission.<\/p>\n
Khawaja delivered twin tons at the SCG, entrenching himself in the team.<\/p>\n
Regardless of how the next few weeks unfold, this is widely expected to be Khawaja\u2019s last summer in the Test squad.<\/p>\n
![\"Usman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/29d522b9b82a44c01e157ebbcc0838404a216670.jpg\")
Usman Khawaja walks to the nets during an Australian Cricket Team training session. Credit: JASON O’BRIEN\/AAPIMAGE<\/p>\n
The Pakistan-born star, who graduated through Sydney grade cricket ranks then made his Test debut against England at the SCG in 2011, remains coy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people want to talk about farewell Tests or whatever, that\u2019s got no relevance to me,\u201d Khawaja said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could have retired two years ago. I could have retired at any time. But I\u2019m still valued by the team, so I\u2019m here.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m always mindful of the future too. I always have been, I\u2019m not here to hang around … I\u2019m just here to enjoy my cricket.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as I\u2019m valued, I\u2019m here. I\u2019m doing my job. And I\u2019ve done quite well over the last few years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Usman Khawaja says \u2018he\u2019s always been a professional\u2019 as he hit back at critics over his golf game…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":344914,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,588,85],"class_list":["post-344913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sport","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}