“Unlucky” Khawaja misses out on ODI side, again
Australian skipper Steve Smith concedes unlucky Usman Khawaja would be feeling frustrated, having been overlooked for the national side’s opening One Dayer against New Zealand.
Usman Khawaja puts the Strikers to the sword at Adelaide Oval last month. Photo: Michael Errey, InDaily.
Khawaja joined the ODI squad following Aaron Finch’s hamstring injury.
The left-hander is in career-best form, having peeled off two centuries in the Big Bash League and three Test tons this summer.
Smith suggested Khawaja will have a hit at some point in the upcoming three-match ODI series.
But it won’t be in Auckland tomorrow, when Shaun Marsh will partner David Warner at the top of the order.
“He’s unlucky to miss out but Shaun’s going to get the first opportunity,” Smith said, revealing his XI.
“No doubt he’d be frustrated. He’s hitting the ball extremely well.
“But the one-day side is a tough side to break into.
“We’re the current world champions. We’ve been playing some very good one-day cricket and the batters have been scoring lots of runs.
“We scored 300 on every occasion in the recent one-day series [against India] at home.”
Legspinner Adam Zampa and paceman Scott Boland were the other two members of the 14-man touring party left out of the XI.
But it is Khawaja’s name that will set tongues wagging, as was the case when he was initially left out of the ODI squad for the trans-Tasman series.
He was set to captain Queensland in a Sheffield Shield clash that starts in Adelaide tomorrow prior to Finch’s setback.
Smith noted Khawaja wouldn’t exclusively be on drinks duty prior to the upcoming two-Test series.
“I think he’ll play one of the [three ODI] games, at least,” the skipper said.
“He does need a hit going into what is a big Test series and he’s batting extremely well… it’s a tough side to break into but I’m sure if he gets an opportunity he’ll take it with both hands.”
Marsh scored 71, 62 and seven in the recent ODI series against India.
“He played well in Australia and he is batting extremely well as well, so he’s getting the first opportunity,” Smith said of Marsh.
Josh Hazlewood, who hasn’t played since January 12, returns to spearhead Australia’s attack.
“We’ve got quite an inexperienced bowling attack. We’ve got quite a few guys that are out but the guys are learning quite quickly,” Smith said, adding would-be debutant Zampa was considered.
“We’ve traditionally done quite well using Maxwell as our spinner … we suspect it will swing around a little bit and we’re going to make use of that,” he said.
AUSTRALIA: Shaun Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith (capt), George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Marsh, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, John Hastings, Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood.
-AAP
