Give Usman Khawaja more time to shine
Roar Pro By Red Kev, 20 Dec 2011 Red Kev is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, Test cricket, Usman Khawaja
Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes have been dropped for Boxing Day (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
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One thing I have noticed already this summer is the vitriol being directed at batsmen trying to break into the Australian Test team.
Whether it is not having a good enough average at Shield level, or not scoring enough runs immediately on making the national team, the lack of patience and tolerance displayed by Australian “fans” is phenomenal.
I am going to focus this discussion on Usman Khawaja, because, as you may have noticed, he’s my pet soapbox in Australian cricket, just as Scott Higginbotham is in Australian rugby.
There are calls in the blog and comment media (especially here) for Khawaja to be dropped because he isn’t scoring enough runs, or because people don’t think he’s good enough.
There are a few things to consider:
- He has only played six Test matches and all six he’s been there as injury cover.
- Khawaja has averaged over 60 in Shield Cricket during the the last two seasons (he’s only played one match this season but still averages over 60 this season too).
- His technique is solid (even four of the seven balls he faced in the Big Bash looked good despite being dismissed for three trying to push along the run rate) and that gives longevity to a player.
Six Tests for one half-century all the detractors cry as if it’s not just mediocre but poor. Sorry but that is a pretty impressive opening to a Test career (only one single figure score and one half century in 11 innings). Not everyone comes out the gate all guns blazing like Greg Blewett, and even fewer do it and then carry it on for a career, like Ricky Ponting.
Compare Usman Khawaja’s start with the starts of three of Test cricket’s recent greats:
Usman Khawaja: 37, 21, 21, 26, 13*, DNB, 12, 65, 38, 0*, 7, 23: average after six Tests 29.22.
Steve Waugh: 13, 5, 8, 0, 11, DNB, 74, 1, 1, 0, 12*, 2*: average after six Tests 14.11 – Test in which he scored his maiden century 27th, career average 51.60.
Jacques Kallis: 1, DNB, 7, DNB, 6, 39, 0, 2, 2, DNB, 61, DNB, 7: average after six Tests 14.75 – Test in which he scored his maiden century, current career average 56.77.
VVS Laxman: 11,51, 14, 1, 5, 35*, 0*, DNB, 64, 27, 0, DNB, 17: average after six Tests 26.00 – Test in which he scored his maiden century, current career average 47.14.
If Waugh, Kallis or Laxman debuted for Australia right now, they’d be crucified by the media and the fans.
Maybe Khawaja needs to be dropped back to Shield cricket, like Justin Langer and Damien Martyn (who both also averaged less than 30 after six Tests, and went on to average in the mid 40s for their career), or maybe he just needs to be told that for the Indian and West Indies series the spot (at three or four) is his and to go out and score some runs.
Bottom line, exercise some patience, show a little faith, and give the guy some time (whoever the guy happens to be).
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- Australian Cricket, Cricket, Test cricket, Usman Khawaja
December 20th 2011 @ 4:23pm
Boris said | December 20th 2011 @ 4:23pm | Report comment
Spot on Bazza… spot on…
December 20th 2011 @ 4:53pm
Jay said | December 20th 2011 @ 4:53pm | Report comment
Khawaja has the makings of a good test opener, supporting warner. Contrasting styles, but I think its something that is needed.
This should be followed by Clarke at number 3.
Langer was a no.3 before and made to transition to opener. Perhaps Khawaja should try the same.
December 20th 2011 @ 5:25pm
Stevo said | December 20th 2011 @ 5:25pm | Report comment
If he were a bowler in that form he’d be dropped by now.
But that says more about how they treat bowlers than his form or ability. He’ll be right.
December 20th 2011 @ 10:12pm
Frankie Hughes said | December 20th 2011 @ 10:12pm | Report comment
In the modern game, on flat pitches, averaging below 30 after 6 Tests means you can’t cut it.
Khawaja might be prolific at Shield level, but he’s not mentality good enough for Test matches.
December 20th 2011 @ 10:27pm
jamesb said | December 20th 2011 @ 10:27pm | Report comment
frankie thats a bit harsh
I’m sure players like S.Waugh, Mcgrath and Warne didn’t have flash stats after 6 tests.
Once a player gets 20 to 25 tests under his belt, then we will have a fair idea what sort of test career that player will have
December 20th 2011 @ 10:32pm
Brendon said | December 20th 2011 @ 10:32pm | Report comment
Warne’s 5th test was at the MCG against the West Indies (who were still the best team in the world) when he bowled Australia to victory.
December 21st 2011 @ 12:26am
Frankie Hughes said | December 21st 2011 @ 12:26am | Report comment
I’m not being harsh at all James. Khawaja’s been found wanting. In the modern era, where T20 sloggers can become Test players(Warner, Morgan, Raina), Khawaja’s not what we need.
December 20th 2011 @ 10:31pm
Brendon said | December 20th 2011 @ 10:31pm | Report comment
He’s not scoring runs. Simple as that.
This is an incredibly misleading and biased article. Infact, bording on the dishonest or at least incredibly poorly researched.
Waugh was primarily in the team as an all rounder when he started. Kallis had his bowling to back him up. Dont forget in his early years Kallis was good enough to hold his spot as a bowler.
VVS Laxman was in and out of the time for the first couple of years of his career.
You use Laxman and Kallis as examples but Laxman is 37 and Kallis is 36. Same age as Ponting and Hussey respectively. Both have had bad form and had people screaming for their heads.
Khawaja is 25. Batsmen dont hit their peak internationally until late 20′s, early 30′s.
No one is saying that Khawaja should NEVER be picked again. Its just that we need someone who can score runs now. Especially when the team isn’t winning consistently.
December 21st 2011 @ 11:12am
Red Kev said | December 21st 2011 @ 11:12am | Report comment
“Khawaja is 25. Batsmen dont hit their peak internationally until late 20′s, early 30′s”
So in 2 years when the Ashes are on Khawaja will be at his peak. Considering the woeful form of Ponting and Hussey (who’s two good series against England and Sri Lanka apparently excuse his 5 abysmal ones surrounding them) shouldn’t we be rebuilding? Khawaja scores more runs than Ponting anyway. Better the guy building to his peak than the guy fading away.
December 21st 2011 @ 6:20am
Red Kev said | December 21st 2011 @ 6:20am | Report comment
@ Frankie Hughes – the idea that pitches are flat in recent times is a complete joke.
@Brendon – as usual you completely miss not only the point but the facts – Kallis and Laxman’s later careers are irrelevant, the focus is on that fact that players are judged too quickly by alleged fans such as yourself who have no patience. I am saying picking a batsman and then dropping him after 3 tests because he hasn’t scored a century is stupid. Hussey and Ponting are in form slumps and getting out in single figures, Khawaja is in a form slump and still makes 20 nearly every time – I know which slump I’d prefer.
Finally if we need someone who can score runs now keeping Ponting and Hussey is disgraceful and dishonest.
I have said it many times – the greatest danger to Australian cricket is the weakness of the Indian bowling lineup allowing the ageing Ponting and Hussey to score enough runs to keep them in the side giving us 39 year old players or debutants on English wickets for the Ashes.
December 21st 2011 @ 9:12am
Brendon said | December 21st 2011 @ 9:12am | Report comment
Your article was misleading – even by the theroar’s average reader’s standard. You gave bad, biased examples
Laxman WAS dropped because of his early low scores. Lots of batsmen have been dropped early in their careers and it was the right thing to do.
The reason I, and others, have pointed out that Kallis and Waugh were all-rounders is because that was important in their selections. Lot easier to retain your place if you can bowl and bat.
As for the rest of your comment and article its the same old dated, amateurish nonsense crap that is just is not warranted in the modern game. I dont care if Ponting and Hussey are 50 and still scoring runs for Australia.
Its the same crap that is holding Khawaja back. Khawaja’s SR from the NZ series was a low 37. If you can only score 37/100 against New Zealand then you have a problem. Its not like the NZ attack had Marshall, Amborse, Akram and Hadlee in it. You’re not going to score centuries in test cricket in the modern era with a SR that low. I bet you’re one of those people that still cling to idiot cliches like “digging in” and “putting your head down”.
And if your argument that a guy averaging 20 is enough to hold his spot then, ugh, I don’t know. Difference between Khawaja and Hussey is that Hussey can get centuries. Khawaja’s getting starts but hes letting the bowlers dominate him and thats why he will continue to get out in the 20′s and 30′s.
December 21st 2011 @ 11:10am
Red Kev said | December 21st 2011 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Ponting and Hussey are not scoring runs.
I have never said that Khawaja should not be dropped back to shield cricket, it may be like so many other batsmen before him it is not his time yet. However I have said, do say, and will say until you get it through your skull that dropping Khawaja to keep Ponting and Hussey in the team is 100% the wrong call.
Most test match batsmen average between 40-60 as a strike rate. Khawaja is slow on a very small sample of innings.
You may not like the cliche of “digging in” but that is exactly what Australia needs at the moment, a player willing to occupy the crease for a session for 30 runs. Khawaja can keep getting out in the 20s and 30s, he’s still doing better than Ponting has in the last 18 months.
December 21st 2011 @ 5:11pm
Red Kev said | December 21st 2011 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
To absolutely noone’s surprise Khawaja was dropped. So here is what will happen, he will go back to shield cricket, finish his third season on the trot with an average over 60, still have a superior 2011 test record compared to Ricky Ponting, and still won’t be picked for the next test series. Inverarity the farcical.
January 28th 2012 @ 9:01pm
Meridian Powell said | January 28th 2012 @ 9:01pm | Report comment
I’ll here issue my 2 (very late) cents. I am perfectly of the opinion that Usman Khawaja was dropped massively prematurely. I think that the selectors have done this before, Phil Hughes being the prime example. Look, we gained a fit and opening Watson and he may not have scored a century but what a player we gained. The effect it had on Hughes, however, is something else entirely. We keep on talking about how good new players need chances, and he’d just scored two centuries!! Now, he’s practically in rehab and fighting to get back in the side. Now, Usman did pretty well in South Africa and was looking solid, and CA just had to get rid of him to get wunderkind Sean Marsh back in and … it didn’t work. We just thrashed India, so it doesn’t really matter, but a genuine, stable batting option has been given more time in the wilderness and now has to start his apprenticeship again. Anyway, good luck to him, he has talent.
January 29th 2012 @ 12:18am
Bearfax said | January 29th 2012 @ 12:18am | Report comment
Fear not Meridian. Both Khawaja and Hughes will be back and tougher and better prepared. These arent the sort of guys who high tail it out of here because of a set back. You can guarantee both are working hard on the game right now and preparing for their next assault on the majors. You dont reach the stage these two guys have reached without a ton of guts and resolve. I trully believe they’ll be back better than ever because they have the resolve and more importantly, they have the natural talent and their performances are going to make it impossibe for Micky and the other selectors to ignore