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To everyone but selectors, Usman Khawaja is the hottest batsman in the world in two formats.
But in the space of 12 hours, the national selectors left Khawaja out of the 14-strong Australian squad for the ODIs next month against New Zealand, and Big Bash League selectors ignored him in naming their tournament combined side.
Let’s look at the cold hard facts.
This summer, Khawaja has scored 174, 9*, 121, 144, and 56 for Australia in Tests against New Zealand and the West Indies – 504 runs at 126.
Khawaja played just four games for the Sydney Thunder in their BBL winning side – 109*, 62, 104*, and 70. That’s 345 runs at 172.50, with a strike rate of 163.50.
Just for interest, combining the two formats – Khawaja’s scored 849 runs this summer at 141.50.
And yet he can’t get into two representative sides?
Fox Sports has asked their viewers whether Khawaja had done enough to warrant ODI selection.
The reaction was almost unanimous – 98 per cent with more than 7000 voters at the time of writing.
National selection chairman Rod Marsh was unusually flippant in his explanation of why Khawaja missed out.
“We tried our hardest to get him [Khawaja] in the side, but we couldn’t drop batsmen from a side that has just beaten India 4-1,” he said.
“It’s very disappointing for him. He probably should make a phone call to Shaun Marsh and ask him how he felt after being dropped after scoring 182.”
That was the chairman’s explanation about Marsh being dropped from the Test side to accommodate Khawaja’s return from injury.
Khawaja celebrated by scoring another century, the correct decision was made.
But leaving Khawaja out of the Australian ODI squad for New Zealand is a blatantly bad decision.
More Marsh-isms trying to explain away the unexplainable.
He reckons Australia’s Test chances against New Zealand will be better served by Khawaja playing red-ball Sheffield Shield for Queensland against South Australia in Adelaide at the same time as the Australians will be playing the first two ODIs at Eden Park, and the Basin Reserve.
Bollocks, Rodney.
You have always contended that runs were any batsman’s criteria for selection, and by not naming Khawaja you have totally ignored your own high standards.
We’ll never know, but how did the other three selectors vote on Khawaja?
Mark Waugh is the ‘Governor’ of the Sydney Thunder, and he reckoned during Channel Ten’s BBL commentary Khawaja was batting better than his idol Brian Lara.
Coach Darren Lehmann is also a selector but was hospitalised with DVT. Did he vote over the phone?
And the fourth selector Trevor Hohns wasn’t known as ‘Hatchet’ Hohns for nothing during his previous stint as national selection chairman
It doesn’t matter which way cricket fans look at Khawaja’s omission, it doesn’t pass the smell test.
As for Khawaja missing out on the Big Bash 05 combined team, there’s even fewer excuses.
The unknown selectors picked West Indian Chris Gayle (Renegades) and Englishman Luke Wright (Stars) as the combined opening batsmen.
Gayle – 262 runs at 32.50 – strike rate 155.08.
Wright – 250 at 41.66 – 137.36.
Khawaja – 345 at 172.50 – 163.50.
How could this possibly be the outcome?