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Australia's star opener, Usman Khawaja, has explicitly laid down his guidelines for extending his tenure in Test cricket: maintaining his physical condition, staying mentally fit, and continuing to enjoy the sport.
Fresh off the heels of an impressive performance as the lead run-scorer in the 2023 Ashes series, which concluded in a gripping 2-2 stalemate allowing Australia to retain the coveted urn, Khawaja delved into his outlook for the sport during the Cricket Australia's Play Cricket Week initiative in Brisbane.
Fielding questions about the Ashes series slated for 2025-26 at home, Khawaja whimsically emphasized his game-by-game approach. He shared, "In 2025 … one series at a time I go with. You can get ahead of yourself and look to that time [in 2025] and think, 'I can probably get there', but I don't want to [do that]. I like playing one summer at a time and seeing how the body is going, how the mind is going and whether I am enjoying it. It is those three things. I am ticking those three boxes at the moment so I will keep playing."
The series' thrilling ups and downs haven't escaped Khawaja's notice. He recounted the heartening interactions he's had with fans and said, "I have had so many people come up to me and tell me how good the Test series was. So for cricket...cricket definitely won."
Highlighting the Aussies' recent dominance over the English, Khawaja drew attention to Australia's streak in the Ashes. "We would have loved to have won but we have now retained [or won] four Ashes series in a row...2019 and 2023 in England. The last time England won in Australia was 2010-11, when I debuted."
Anticipation surrounds the upcoming clashes against Pakistan and the West Indies. However, Khawaja's focus was also on lauding the potential heirs to the Aussie opening slots. Singling out Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw, and Cameron Bancroft, Khawaja asserted, "Marcus Harris has been travelling with us a lot, everywhere we go. It would be remiss to think that he is not the next in line to open the batting for Australia." He further extolled Renshaw's prowess and acknowledged Bancroft's stellar displays in Western Australia.
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