Usman Khawaja: Retirement plans, opening the batting and his best spot in the Australian teams

Usman Khawaja quips he hates being called an opening batsman but he may yet stay in that role for some time to come, as he lifts the lid on his retirement plans.

Usman Khawaja quips he hates being called an opening batsman but he may yet stay in that role beyond his 39th birthday and finish his career where he started it.

For the first time Khawaja has revealed that, form and fitness permitting, he would like to play on to next summer’s Ashes series.

It opens up the possibility of Khawaja ending his Test career on the same ground it started on 13 years ago at the SCG, the precinct he knows so well after growing up in western Sydney.

After dam-busting summers where he averaged 67 and 52, Khawaja has had a modest year, averaging just 25 in seven Tests and while this included several hard yakka first sessions he is likely to need some decent scores against India to cement his final fling.

Australia's Usman Khawaja indicated he wants to play for another summer, if form and fitness permits. Picture: AFP

Khawaja was in entertaining form as a guest speaker at the inaugural Usman Khawaja Foundation lunch in Brisbane yesterday, playfully revealing he was an Australian opener by circumstance, not choice.

“I hate being called an opening batsman,’’ Khawaja quipped.

“I always take the piss out of myself when they say ‘opening batsman for Australia’. I’m like ‘nah nah I’m a number four’. I’m opening the batting under duress. I say that to the boys all the time. I don’t want to open. I want to bat five. It’s the hardest place to bat in Australia, of course I don’t want to open.

“I do enjoy opening for one reason, it’s probably the most satisfying feeling when you perform as an opener for your team.

“You’ve done the hardest work at the start and you face the best bowlers every single time you do it, which is why unless you’ve actually opened in cricket you don’t actually respect how tough it is.”

Later Khawaja explained: “If I wanted to be selfish the best spot for me is five but the best spot for me (for the team) is to open.

“Winning games is more important than anything else. As much as I joke around about it I also understand it is the best spot for me in the team.’’

Australia's Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney shake hands with Indian players at the end of the Adelaide Test. Picture: AFP

Khawaja, who turns 38 next week, remains open-minded about his plans beyond this summer but admits next summer’s Ashes has special appeal.

“If everything is going well there is no reason why I would not want to play another summer in Australia. My body is good, my mind is good and I am still hitting the ball well.

“It (a series against India) is awesome to play, it’s massive but the pride and joy and tradition of playing in the Ashes, there’s nothing like it.

“The emotion involved, you saw it last Ashes both on and off the field, there’s just so much involved with it. It’s pretty special.”

Usman Khawaja and Travis Head walk onto Adelaide Oval during the second Test. Picture: Getty Images

Despite his numbers sharply receding this year, Khawaja is comfortable with his form.

“We have won seven of the last nine games that we have played,” he said.

“What I know is that we are doing better than what the opposition are doing. In the last nine games not one game has gone to five days.

“It has obviously been tough work for batters in general but that (the results) is all I focus on.

“The batsmen are still doing what they need to. I batted (lasted) the first session pretty much every single first innings last year which pretty much set up the game for the team.’’

Originally published as Usman Khawaja: Retirement plans, opening the batting and his best spot in the Australian teams