With his name omitted from the list of Australia's next round of central contracts, announced by Cricket Australia (CA) this Thursday (April 30), left-hand batsman Usman Khawaja's future at the highest level seems uncertain at this stage.
Khawaja's most-recent outings in both ODIs and Tests came last year during the marquee summer in UK, including the World Cup and the Ashes. The selectors didn't consider him for the home summer and the limited-overs visits to India, South Africa.
The 33-year-old did quite well in the List A domestic competition but his form in the Sheffield Shield for Queensland didn't turn too many heads, especially with someone like Marnus Labuschagne promising to cement his place in the middle-order.
"If I'm looking at Test cricket, Usman's form in Sheffield Shield cricket didn't demand he was chosen for Australia," National Selector Trevor Hohns was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "I think that's fair."
"In one-day cricket, he didn't play for Australia despite being in very good form in the Marsh Cup. But the area he operates in, like a couple of other unlucky omissions, is up the top."
"We're pretty well looked after up there with Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith and now Marnus Labuschagne."
"It was a difficult time for him. Uzzie was the hardest (decision) because he was ranked in two of the three formats, but just fell out of the bottom of the list," added Hohns.
"We know Usman is a fabulous player, I don't have any doubts he'll accept the challenge to get back into the Australian side. He's been pretty good player for Australia, unfortunately, the last 12 months hasn't been his best."
Khawaja wouldn't back that opinion, having claimed at the point of his Ashes sacking that he is being treated unfairly by the selectors.
"It was the first time I got dropped when I didn't actually feel that out of nick," he said last September. "I didn't get the big score but getting 40 (in the first Test at Edgbaston) and 36 (in the second at Lord's) in tough conditions, I felt really good. I got a couple of fifties in the tour games too."
On being axed from the ODI squad last December ahead of the tour of India, Khawaja had said: "I wasn't expecting to be dropped. It took me by a little bit of shock. They (selectors) can't really tell me to score more runs – I'm one of the highest run scorers in international cricket. I scored plenty of runs when I came back here (in the Marsh Cup)."
"I don't think there was much they could say and I don't think there was much I wanted to say back to them. It's disappointing."
The rise of Labuschagne has only added to Khawaja's misery.
"He's been fantastic," Hohns said of Khawaja's Queensland teammate. "Everyone was waiting for the bubble to burst to be honest, but he's gone from strength to strength representing Australia, not only in Test but one-day cricket as well."
"He's been a revelation and deserves all the accolades he gets. He's probably one of the hardest workers in that group and he's dragging others along with him."
"He's had a massive influence in that area as well as far as work ethic goes. Everyone hopes he can continue in the form he's been in."
(Inputs from cricket.com.au)
