Former Australian captain Michael Clarke believes it will be a good opportunity for Usman Khawaja to announce his retirement from red-ball cricket after SCG Test. Khawaja, 38, isn’t in the best of forms in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Test series against India.
The left-hander has scored 141 runs in four Test matches against the Indians at an average of 20.14 and thus he failed to give a solid start to the team at the top of the order. In the first three Test matches, India’s gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah had Khawaja’s number as he troubled him consistently.
Khawaja has scored 5592 runs in 77 Test matches at an average of 44.03 but Clarke feels it will be good if the left-hander decides to go on his own terms.
“This is Uzzie’s home Test match, the SCG,” Clarke said on the Beyond 23 podcast.
“He has been an amazing player, absolutely an amazing player. Come back in, score runs overseas, score runs in Australia. He is 38 years of age; I think it could be a great opportunity for Uzzie to announce his retirement and Sydney to be his last Test.”
“I know he would like to keep playing. His form has not been as good as he would like throughout this series. I also think that could be a great opportunity for a new player to come in, open the batting, and get some Test match cricket under their belt before the first Ashes Test match,” he added.
On the other hand, former Australian captain Mark Taylor concurred with Clarke and said the selectors might need to work some players into retirement.
“There’s no doubt this side isn’t going to need to recoup over the next two or three years, and selectors are going to have to be tough at times because I think players are less likely to retire these days, so therefore selectors have to be a little more ruthless,” Taylor told 2GB radio on Thursday.
After electing to bat first, India are struggling at 170-9 after 69 overs at the SCG.
