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Usman Khawaja blasts Australia's horses for courses selection policy

Usman Khawaja says Australian selectors need to give long rope to players to prove themselves

By Unnikrishnan
Usman Khawaja

Bengaluru, October 16: Usman Khawaja has questioned the 'horses-for-courses' selection policy for Australia's batsmen that saw him dumped for Tests in India and Bangladesh.

The left-hander made 57 runs at 9.5 in his past six innings in Asia, and believes the uncertainty around his position in the side on the subcontinent contributed to his below-par returns.

"(It is) very hard to develop your game and play some consist cricket if you're not getting consistent opportunities overseas, which I haven't been getting," Khawaja told ABC Grandstand.

"It's frustrating but I've just got to focus on what's in front of me. I'd love to win an Ashes series - I haven't done that yet.

"(The selectors) never used to (change the team based on the country they were playing in) before, I'm not really sure why they do it now. It creates a lot of instability in the team I reckon, going in and out for everyone. "

You hear things like 'the players are playing afraid' or whatnot, but that's what happens when you drop players all the time. We've been doing that a fair bit lately.

"I know as captain of Queensland I try and avoid that as much as possible; players I pick in the first game, I try to stick with them as long as possible, because they'll always be the best players on the park.

"For some reason it seems like lately in Australia that the best players always seem to be the next guy in, which I don't totally agree with."

Khawaja is expected to be recalled for the opening Test of the Ashes on November 23 at his Queensland home ground, the Gabba, where he has scored 261 runs at 87 in the past two Tests, including a maiden hundred in Baggy Green in 2015.

Story first published: Monday, October 16, 2017, 15:33 [IST]
Other articles published on Oct 16, 2017
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