Prior to the Sri Lanka series, Usman Khawaja has no concrete plans to retire, but he never wants to be the player who stays on at the Test level for too long. As he gets ready to play Sri Lanka, Usman Khawaja has no immediate plans to retire, but he will be prepared to end his own Test career if he ever feels that Australia needs it. After he only scored one score above 20 in the first three India Test matches of the domestic summer, the 38-year-old’s future attracted renewed attention.
However, he appeared to be revitalized at the top by new opening partner Sam Konstas. Australia won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten years thanks to a half-century from Khawaja in an excitingly close MCG Test victory and a valiant 41 in the SCG run chase.
Despite being the senior member of an aging team, the veteran maintains a positive demeanor upon his arrival at the team’s luxurious hotel in Galle. The only player under 30 in the Sydney-based Australia-India series winning XI was Konstas.Australia needs to begin preparing for a transition period, as evidenced by the inclusion of Konstas, Cooper Connolly, and Nathan McSweeney in the squad for the two games in Galle.
As that moment approaches, Khawaja shudders at the thought of being the individual who stays too long. “Over the next three to four years, there’s going to be a lot of transition going on,” Khawaja stated. “I’m quite attuned to that, and I still want to play, and I want to keep playing for as long as I can.” However, I’m also aware that there might be a suitable moment to leave; if I’m still participating and the selectors say, “We feel like the time has come,” I can leave by saying, “You let me know.” Khawaja is reluctant to set a deadline for when he wants to leave.
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When he announced his intention to retire at the SCG in the summer of 2023–2024, his childhood friend and former Test opening partner David Warner unintentionally placed even more scrutiny on his own form. Khawaja at least hopes to be present when England travels to Australia in the summer of 2025–2026. In an ideal world, he would like to retire against England in 12 months at the SCG, which is also his home field.
“Those thoughts of bowing out in Sydney are undoubtedly on my mind, and I’m not scared to discuss them. “I am a human,” he declared. “At the very least, I would still like to play the Ashes. That’s as far ahead as I’ll think, so I try not to think too far.I’ll play as long as we’re winning, I’m still making a difference, and my body feels good. Rather than retiring after the Ashes, I always find myself living one summer at a time.
Australia’s higher-ups took Khawaja’s most recent jab at the SCG very seriously; captain Pat Cummins hinted at this when play had ended early on the third day. Given that he led all run-scorers on both sides during Australia’s most recent subcontinental tour to India in 2023, he is certain to open the batting for the two Test matches against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Before an emotional 141-run victory over Pakistan in Dubai in 2018, Khawaja faced mockery for his Asian record. Two summers ago, his return to form as Australia’s most dependable batter in India persuaded him to ignore criticism of his play. “(Playing on the subcontinent) has been a love-hate relationship,” he stated. However, there will be occasions when you score runs and occasions when you don’t. The older you get, the more you respect that.In cricket, there are always highs and lows. Now, I’m really aware of that.
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