Give Usman Khawaja more time to shine

I wouldnt be identifying the USA as a paragon of virtue in racial issues. In the big cities like N.Y and L.A there are some areas of effective integration. But go to the country areas and you find things havent changed much since the end of the civil war in 1865. And I would suggest to you that there are many far worse countries around the world where racism and religious bigotry are far worse than here in Oz, and India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are noted examples. But that doesnt excise it here in Oz.

Dear Bearfax, I hope you are correct in your views. I appreciate your genuine sentiment. But, things have to change in cricket, especially in regard to the higher representation of the game, including in the legislative, judicial and higher management areas in Australia, where minority groups are given that opportunity who are genuinely talented to be positions, which can people lives in this country. That is the time I genuinely believe Australia will turn the corner as a nation, like USA for example. But, what could I say too much, because I am originally from Sri Lanka (was born in that country) where even today in the north and east of the country, the minority Tamil speaking are raped and abducted. Therefore I cannot comment too much as stated in a foreign land, even if I came to Australia as a sixteen year old teenager in 1984 and gained citizenship of Australia in 1988. Cheers, Muralidaran.

Muraldideran I hope with all my heart that you are wrong in what you are saying, even though I have thought these issues briefly myself, and I am mainly Anglo-Saxon in heritage. I cant say you are right because I cant see into the minds of the selectors. It does worry me that the national coach has been accused of racism in the past in his home land South Africa, though the example given was too uncertain to be accepted as justified. But as you can see from comments in these forums Muralidaran, the vast majority of sentiment is in support of Khawaja being given his chance and being selected. I dont doubt there is racism in this country, and it shames me like all fair minded Australians that that exists. However I seriously think it is diminishing and that belief seems to be shared with the many of the non Anglo Saxon Australians with whom I am friends. In fact the worst racism seems to occur between various non Anglo-Saxons in the last few decades and I'm sure it is just as bad and perhaps in many ways worse in some other countries. But getting back to Usman, I think most cricket supporters, if you can take these forums as an accurate cross section of the average Australian (and I'm not talking exclusively of Anglo-Saxons Australians here), see him as one of our own, Australian, being for some reason poorly treated by our selectors for reasons offered that seem unjustified and downright unfair. I think that sentiment alone shows that the question of race in this country is dying amongst all but a diminishing few sections of our community at large, and testified in that so many sports are increasingly heavily multi-cultural. We all still fear difference and change to a degree but I think as we all become more used to seeing and hearing peoples different to ourselves (and this applies to non Anglo-Saxons as well) we are as a nation becoming more accepting of those differences.. But yes cricket does seem to be one sport, for reasons unknown to me, that remains predominantly 'white' here in Australia. We've had some people of mixed cultural background such as Gillespie and Symonds and there was even a young fellow called Chee Quee who came close to representation. But in cricket, you are quite right in pointing out that there seems to be a serious lack of, at best, non Europeans. Though I dont think Usman's situation is purely racial, I do suspect an 'old boys club' exists where some are favoured for reasons not only because of their cricket talent. Sometimes its interstate political, sometimes its mateship between those in power positions and those coming through. Sometimes its sentiment for past heroes still clinging on. All are discriminatory and should be torn out of cricket. But yes, maybe there is also, regrettably, some racism.

I believe Khawaja has a problem, because the Australian national cricket selectors are basically picking a South Asian, who is a Pakistani and this does not sit well with the current national selectors in heart and mind. If I was Khawaja, I will seek a country like New Zealand,en England, South Africa or to return back to Pakistan. But, Khawaja has to realize it and he cannot jump out of skin and call himself an Anglo Saxon Australian, because the 'White Australia' policy was only abandoned in the early 1970s. I hope this is something the readers also appreciate, because unfortunately racism is yet a very significant issue in Australia, especially in regard to cricket at the higher levels, not AFL or Rugby League or Union. I suppose the colonial master attitude yet prevails among the current Australian cricket selectors mind. I hope they are honest and face up to it, which I doubt they will. Nevertheless, I do not want a player of Khawja's class to suffer due to racism prejudices. In fact I will love to return back to Sri Lanka after twenty seven years of life in Australia, but being a Tamil by ethnicity has before and more so now shut that opportunity.

I believe Khawaja has a problem, because the Australian national cricket selectors are basically picking a South Asian, who is a Pakistani and this does not sit well with the current national selectors in heart and mind. If I was Khawaja, I will seek a country like New Zealand,en England, South Africa or to return back to Pakistan. But, Khawaja has to realize it and he cannot jump out of skin and call himself an Anglo Saxon Australian, because the 'White Australia' policy was only abandoned in the early 1970s. I hope this is something the readers also appreciate, because unfortunately racism is yet a very significant issue in Australia, especially in regard to cricket at the higher levels, not AFL or Rugby League or Union. I suppose the colonial master attitude yet prevails among the current Australian cricket selectors mind. I hope they are honest and face up to it, which I doubt they will. Nevertheless, I do not want a player of Khawja's class to suffer due to racism prejudices. In fact I will love to return back to Sri Lanka after twenty seven years of life in Australia, but being a Tamil by ethnicity has before and more so now shut that opportunity.

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

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"Langer started his Test career against the Windies in 92/93". I recall that. He played 1 (maybe 2...) tests in that series, your comment is a bit mischeivious as it tends to imply he played a full series against them and therefore he had a tougher road that Khawaja. I think the authors original point stands. 6 tests is too soon to judge if a guy will be a dud or a great (or most commonly, somewhere in between).

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.