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Cricket Australia has once again denied Usman Khawaja any chance to play for his country or even press for selection.
After facing only 293 deliveries in two months of nothing but limited overs (one-day or T20) cricket during the main part of summer (between December 8 and February 8), and playing just two warm-up games (facing 192 match deliveries over the course of one 2-day and one 3-day game) over the course of a six week tour of India, selectors have decided to omit the left-hander.
Questions now have to be asked about the treatment of this man.
I cannot believe the lack of justification that is being allowed to slide from the spin merchants Clarke, Arthur and Inverarity over this matter.
Why was Khawaja even taken on tour if the selectors had no intention of ever playing a real cricket team (ie one with six batsmen in it)?
It can’t have been as a reserve batsman, they didn’t take a reserve wicket-keeper and when they needed one they just flew Haddin over from Australia. The same could be done with a batsman.
Why has Khawaja been denied to chance to play in the remaining four Sheffield Shield games of the regular season for Queensland?
Why was he denied the chance to play in the final that started this afternoon if he was not to play a Test in India?
If the selectors still have concerns over Khawaja’s game why not tell him what they are and let him work on them in the first-class arena in Australia?
All they have done is denied him any opportunity to show form or improvement.
That is ten innings that Khawaja has not been given the chance to play and maintain form and show his worth for the Ashes.
Why has every player on tour (except for Jackson Bird, who flew home injured) played in a Test match? This is vindictive discrimination, pure and simple.
Why has Australia played five Tests in a row with only five batsmen? All-rounders offer no benefit unless they hold their spot as a batsman or bowler alone. Watson, Henriques and Maxwell do neither.
How are players like Watson, Henriques, Maxwell and Smith afforded games ahead Khawaja? These are inferior players, with worse records and in worse form.
Maxwell and Henriques have one first-class hundred each to their name across their entire careers.
How does one innings from Phil Hughes demand his retention?
He is six Tests into his comeback and is averaging 29, lest we forget six Tests at 29 is the record that got Khawaja dropped (actually it was three tests at 29, twice).
How does two years averaging 25 allow Watson to waltz back into the side at will?
Why are three of the four players who were disciplined in Mohali playing in the fourth Test but Usman Khawaja is so conspicuously punished further?
More importantly why is no-one in the press asking about the hypocrisy and favouritism that is clearly evident in the Australian cricket team?
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