Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Three things that keep Usman Khawaja playing Test cricket

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Saturday, 19 August 2023 01:02
Australia opener Usman Khawaja says he will keep playing Test cricket just as long as he continues to tick three crucial boxes.
It's a case of so far, so good for the 36-year-old, who topped the Ashes batting aggregate across both sides in the recent 2-2 series draw in England that ensured Australia retained the urn.

Khawaja was asked at Cricket Australia's Play Cricket Week campaign in Brisbane if the home Ashes series of 2025-26 was still in his sights.

"In 2025 one series at a time I go with," Khawaja grinned. "You can get ahead of yourself and look to that time [in 2025] and think, 'I can probably get there', but I don't want to [do that].

"I like playing one summer at a time and seeing how the body is going, how the mind is going and whether I am enjoying it. It is those three things. I am ticking those three boxes at the moment so I will keep playing."

Khawaja has had a few weeks to reflect on this year's thrilling Ashes series.

"I have had so many people come up to me and tell me how good the Test series was. So for cricket...cricket definitely won," he said. "I've had more than 50 people tell me the last couple of weeks how much sleep they lost watching the Ashes.

"We would have loved to have won but we have now retained [or won] four Ashes series in a row...2019 and 2023 in England. The last time England won in Australia was 2010-11, when I debuted.

"So we've been dominating Ashes cricket for a long time and that is the bigger picture. England is going to have to come back here and beat us and do something they haven't done for a very long time."

Australia play Pakistan and West Indies in the coming months, with Khawaja looking forward to opening alongside David Warner in what will be his good mate's last summer of Test cricket. He said the future looked bright in the opening ranks, no matter who replaced Warner in Tests.
"Marcus Harris has been travelling with us a lot, everywhere we go. It would be remiss to think that he is not the next in line to open the batting for Australia," Khawaja said.
"[In Queensland] Matt Renshaw has been around and playing some beautiful cricket, and scored a Test hundred in Sydney early on [in his career]. Then there's the likes of Cameron Bancroft, who played really well too in WA and has played for Australia also."

Khawaja said the Play Cricket Week initiative, which features approximately 150 high-profile cricketers around the country, was vital to encourage kids to take up the sport.

"Participation is the be-all and end-all for cricket," Khawaja said. "It is great to see the young boys and now it is really exciting to see the females in participation. When I was younger it was very different. The amount of girls that come up to me these days and ask for an autograph is pretty cool."

Read 125 times

Soccer

Man City face 'tough' season after late collapse

Man City face 'tough' season after late collapse

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPep Guardiola said Manchester City are in for a "tough" season afte...

Man City need more than Haaland as season sits on knife's edge

Man City need more than Haaland as season sits on knife's edge

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMANCHESTER, England -- For 75 minutes on Tuesday night, Manchester...

10-man PSG drop to 26th in narrow loss to Bayern

10-man PSG drop to 26th in narrow loss to Bayern

Bayern Munich battled past 10-man Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Champions League thanks to Kim Min-...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Giannis out vs. Heat due to pregame knee issue

Giannis out vs. Heat due to pregame knee issue

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMIAMI -- Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for Tues...

Sources: Kings closing in on deal for Crowder

Sources: Kings closing in on deal for Crowder

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFree-agent forward Jae Crowder is close to a deal with the Sacramen...

Baseball

Dodgers split $46M from record MLB playoff pool

Dodgers split $46M from record MLB playoff pool

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- A full postseason share for the World Series champion L...

Starter or reliever? Stay with the Phillies or go elsewhere? All-Star Jeff Hoffman opens up on free agency

Starter or reliever? Stay with the Phillies or go elsewhere? All-Star Jeff Hoffman opens up on free agency

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsJeff Hoffman is one of the most sought-after relievers in this offs...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated