Time to drop Usman Khawaja from Tests: Australia has 3 key reasons to take this harsh call

Time for Australia to drop Khawaja from Tests [source: AFP Photo]

Every cricketer who makes his international debut has to retire someday, and perhaps the time has come for Australia’s Usman Khawaja to call time on his illustrious Test career. He has been a great servant for the Australian team, but the player is no longer the same, and with the arrival of two new openers, he is surplus to their requirement.

He flopped in the first Test match against England in Perth, and here are 3 major reasons why Australia should take the bold call and drop him from the Tests permanently.

1) Poor form since 2024

Since 2024, Khawaja has witnessed a slump in form as the bowlers have found ways to dismiss him, and the southpaw has failed to counter them. With David Warner retired, the onus was on Khawaja to steady the opening slot, but the Australian side were left in a puzzle as the batters has not recovered from his slump.

(Usman Khawaja in Tests since 2024)

• Since the start of 2024, Khawaja has played 17 Test matches for Australia and has scored 878 runs, with an average of just 30. Interestingly, he has only scored a solitary Test ton and the pressure has mounted on the southpaw.
• Between 2022 and 2023, Khawaja had amassed 2290 runs in 24 Tests, and in the following two years, the batter witnessed a great slump and has failed to recover from it, having scored less than 1,000 runs.

2) Australian team needs Test transition

At 38, Khawaja is not getting any younger, and perhaps, Australia should start the transition process soon. The last time their core group of players became older, the Kangaroos failed to replace them with younger players, and the team shouldn’t make the same mistake again.

The transition should start with Khawaja, and the others should follow his footsteps. Moreover, as witnessed in the Perth Test match, the Aussie batter looked out of touch, and at 38, his reflexes slowed down as he failed to put up runs against the English side.

3) Replacements already ready

• In the second innings of the Perth Test, Australia took a gamble and promoted Travis Head at the top, and the move paid dividends as the batter smashed a scintillating ton, and won the Test for Australia, almost single-handedly.
• On the other hand, Jake Weatherald, who flopped in the Perth Test, smashed a swashbuckling fifty in the Brisbane Test match, seemingly indicating that he is ready for the opening job. Hence, Aussies now technically have two openers who can replace Khawaja at the top.

Final verdict

Usman Khawaja has been a great servant for the Australian team, but perhaps the time has come for the Aussie management to look into the future and start the transition process. Khawaja is not getting any younger and the management should make a harsh call by dropping him from red-ball cricket permanently.

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