Australia's Usman Khawaja frustrated with selection issues

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has expressed his disappointment on not being selected for the upcoming Champions Trophy in the UK. In fact, Khawaja’s woes began from January this year when he was dropped from the national side for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in New Zealand.

Instead of taking part in the trans-Tasmanian clash, Khawaja was sent to Dubai to train for the all-important Test series against India due to begin on February 23. Nevertheless, as the Test series got underway in the subcontinent, Khawaja found himself warming the bench, or at most, scurrying in with drinks for the players.

Australia chose to bat Shaun Marsh in the middle order, which meant Khawaja watched the entire Test series from the sidelines. The opener still finds himself out of the Australian squad which will travel to the UK for the Champions Trophy. Khawaja spoke about his frustration for not having got the opportunity to play the ODIs in New Zealand.

“Maybe when I was younger I would have been frustrated [at missing out on the Tests in India]. In saying that obviously I would have loved to play in that Test series, [and] when I didn’t get to play in that first Test I was a bit frustrated,” Khawaja told foxsports.com.au.

“I sort of had an idea I was not going to play in that first Test after I didn’t get a run during the tour match. We played brilliant in that first Test match and we won. I was frustrated at the time, not so much because I didn’t play in that Test match — I understand the selectors, Boof [coach Darren Lehmann] and picking the best team and what was going on and I just want Australia to win,” he added.

“The most frustrating thing for me was not to play those three ODIs in New Zealand. Getting pulled out from them to come to Dubai to prepare for 10 days and then not play the first Test. So I actually miss out on the one-day matches for Australia. For me that was the tough part.

“I got pulled out of that series to prepare for India and then not playing was a bit hard.”

Shaun Marsh was perhaps preferred over Usman Khawaja because of the latter’s lack of runs in the subcontinent. Prior to the India tour, Khawaja had a mere 115 runs in four Tests that he played in Asia, averaging less than 20. Marsh, on the other hand, was amongst the runs for Australia, as he brought up 2 centuries in Sri Lanka in the three Tests he played there.

“It is tough one because the way I look at it was Reny [Matt Renshaw] and [David] Warner were going to open, [captain Steve Smith] was going to play, Petey [Handscomb] was going to play, it was probably going to be between me and Shaun Marsh and he got hundred in the last Test match in Sri Lanka,” the left-hander shared.

“The selectors went for a gut feel I assume and that is their job,” Khawaja said. “I’m at a stage now where there are things I can control and there are things I can’t control so I don’t bother worrying too much about it,” Khawaja added.

However, Usman Khawaja said that he felt better after having spoken to coach Darren Lehmann.

“To Boof’s credit I had a chat to him about all that stuff and he came up to me and he actually knew where I was at in that things had not worked out, not being able to play the ODIs and come early to India, he knew exactly where I was coming from,” Khawaja said.

“Once I chatted out to him it helped me quite a bit. He has seen it all, he has seen the ups and downs so after I had that discussion with him I was fine. I was just like ‘there are few more ODIs coming up that I can look forward to’. After that chat I was fine and just trying to do the best for the team and be ready in case the opportunity did come up,” he added.

Usman Khawaja has scored runs in all formats of the game. Nevertheless, the batsman finds himself out of the national side on three occasions now. A man with a hunger for scoring runs, Khawaja waits for another opportunity to make a statement with the bat.

“I always want to be out there playing cricket. I have not played a Test match in India yet and it is hard fact to take it because at least I can prove to myself and to other people that I can do well out here. But on the same token as the saying goes on in sport ‘if you hang on for too long there is more negative that comes out than positive’,” he concluded.