Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has dismissed speculation surrounding Usman Khawaja’s immediate Test future, stating there have been no discussions about the veteran opener retiring after the fifth and final Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
McDonald confirmed that Khawaja is currently taking a short break with his family and remains firmly in Australia’s plans for the Sydney Test.
“He’s with his family at the moment, having a couple of days off,” McDonald said. “We’re always having conversations about where players are at, there’s no indication at my end that he’s calling it in Sydney.
“But his performance in this calendar year has been good enough to warrant selection, so I’d say he’ll be there marking centre in Sydney.”
Following the Sydney Test, Australia do not play another Test after Sydney until August, when Bangladesh tour Down Under. That gap is followed by a demanding run of fixtures, including a tour of South Africa, a home series against New Zealand, and a tour of India, amounting to 13 Tests between October and March.
Given that extended break, McDonald indicated there is no urgency around decisions on Khawaja’s long-term future.
“I think Uz will come to us if he’s going to retire, there’s no doubt about that,” McDonald said. “And then after this Test match, we’ve got eight months until the next one, so we’ve got a lot of time as a selection group to make that decision.
“If there was a series straight off the back of this, then it would be a little bit different. But with the eight-month gap, as a selection panel, we’ve got a lot of time to think about our next Test team should Uz push forward.”
Murphy in frame as Australia rethink XI for SCG Test
Despite holding an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, Australia head into the Sydney Test keen to respond to their four-wicket defeat in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. With conditions at the SCG traditionally favouring spin and balance, McDonald indicated that squad depth has given the selectors several genuine options to consider.
Spinner Todd Murphy appears a strong contender for a recall after Australia went without a specialist spinner in Melbourne, while all-rounder Beau Webster is also under consideration as the selectors review Cameron Green’s role and workload heading into the finale.
“It’s a nice problem to have. People are going to debate selection. They’re going to debate where Cameron’s at at this point in time and how he fits. We know we’ve got a quality player (in Webster) sitting there waiting,” he said.
“We’ve got a batting order that we’d like to think can function at a higher capacity, so we’ll be having conversations leading into Sydney.”
The coach acknowledged that going without a spinner in Melbourne was an unusual move for Australia and hinted that the SCG surface could prompt a return to a more conventional balance.
“It takes a lot for us to not pick a spinner, and we have been pushed into making that decision. Red-ball games, that’s the first time in a long time that we haven’t picked a spinner (in Melbourne). It’s not something that we like doing. I don’t think it’s something that will happen moving forward.
“I’d love to pick Todd. I’d love to see what he’s got to offer. We think he’s back to his best, and what we’ve seen when he’s come closer to the camp has been excellent. We’d love to pick him,” McDonald said.
While changes are being considered, McDonald stressed that Australia would not tinker unnecessarily, particularly with ICC World Test Championship points at stake as the side pushes for a third consecutive appearance in the final. “WTC is something that we aim and strive for,” he said.
“Every Test match is vitally important, and we like to think we just pick the best Test team for that surface based upon that opponent, because the WTC is something that is held in such high regard by this group. We like to be consistent,” he added.