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Millions of words have been written and spoken about the shabby treatment Usman Khawaja has received in limited-over selections by the national panel this summer.
At last he has been named in the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup in India from March 16 to April 6.
But there are ten others who were selected for Australia against India in the three T20 internationals who will miss the World Cup.
Batsmen Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, and Chris Lynn, keepers Matt Wade and Cameron Bancroft, leggie Cameron Boyce, offie Nathan Lyon, and pacemen Kane Richardson, Shaun Tait, and Scott Boland.
Nine selected for the World Cup played against India in the T20s – Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shane Watson, James Faulkner, John Hastings, Andrew Tye, Usman Khawaja, and Glenn Maxwell.
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That left six World Cuppers who weren’t selected against India – Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, and Adam Zampa.
And to complete the changes, Steve Smith takes over as captain from Aaron Finch. Don’t read anything sinister into that, the switch should have been made earlier as Smith is clearly the best captain in the country in all three formats.
But the squad still has question marks against it.
Finch and Faulkner have hamstring tears, while Coulter-Nile is recovering from a dislocated shoulder, with no certainty any one of three will be fit in time.
For the sake of this exercise let’s presume all three are right to go, so who will open with David Warner?
In an embarrassment of riches – there’s Finch, Khawaja, or Shane Watson?
Left-arm orthodox Agar and leggie Zampa will be the senior spinners, so Smith won’t be forced to bowl Maxwell as he has in the past.
And the same Maxwell desperately needs some runs early in the tournament, or face carrying drinks.
Looking at the squad, naming a starting line-up won’t be easy.
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith
Shane Watson
Mitchell Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Peter Nevill
Ashton Agar
James Faulkner
John Hastings
Josh Hazlewood
That line-up bats to ten, with a four-man pace attack of Hazlewood, Hastings, Watson and Faulkner, and two spinners – Agar and Maxwell.
If Maxwell fails again with the bat for a sixth successive time, Zampa comes with his leggies. He has been providing opponents with plenty of headaches with the ball, while he’s underrated with the bat.
That team could make genuine noises in India, especially as the selectors have covered some weak areas.
The squad
Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Andrew Tye, Shane Watson, and Adam Zampa.