I’m not here to fill Ponting’s shoes, says Usman Khawaja
December 31st, 2010 - 1:25 pm ICT by ANISydney, Dec 31(ANI): New South Wales batsman Usman Khawaja, who has been included in Australia’s 12-man squad for the fifth Ashes Test, has steered clear of suggestions that he may replace injured captain Ricky Ponting permanently.
Khawaja will be Ponting’s replacement in the match, starting in Sydney on Sunday.
Ponting has been ruled out of the match after x-rays on his broken finger showed that the fracture had moved during this week’s fourth Test loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“Ricky is a legend of a cricketer, a legend of a bloke. Me taking over Ricky’s spot - I highly doubt that. I’m just happy to take the opportunity, unfortunately for while he is injured, and hopefully we can get out there and level the series,” The Age quoted Khawaja, as saying.
“I’m not here to fill Ponting’s shoes, I’m here to try and go out there and do the best I can, obviously put my team in the best position I can which is for me to score runs.”
“Other than that all I can really do is enjoy my cricket, because to replace 12,000 [Test] runs, that’s a big feat, and I still haven’t scored any so I’ve got to go out there and score my first one,” he added.
Earlier, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch had said that Khawaja’s debut was “something we are excited about given his tremendous form at domestic level over the past two seasons”.
Australia currently trails the five-match series 2-1. (ANI)
- Clarke to lead Australia in fifth Ashes Test - Dec 30, 2010
- Ponting 'devastated' over missing fifth Ashes Test - Dec 30, 2010
- Clarke to lead Australia in Sydney, Haddin vice-captain (Lead) - Dec 30, 2010
- Khawaja will be a standby for Ponting - Dec 21, 2010
- Arthur backs Khawaja to come good in Tests - Dec 17, 2011
- Ponting, Hussey to play against India on Boxing Day, says Arthur - Dec 13, 2011
- Injured Ponting out of fifth Ashes Test - Dec 30, 2010
- Ponting backs Khwaja for No.3 position - Dec 30, 2010
- Australia '100 per cent behind' stand-in captain Clarke: Haddin - Dec 31, 2010
- Khawaja set to play for English county Derbyshire - Jan 21, 2011
- If we lose again, will probably be looking for another job: Ponting - Dec 29, 2010
- Khawaja, Beer to make debuts in Sydney Ashes Test - Jan 02, 2011
- Oz selectors face hard choice to retain Ponting at No 3: Waugh - Jan 04, 2011
- I'm not going to interfere in Sydney Ashes Test: Ponting - Dec 31, 2010
- Clarke must shape up as batsman or forget about Oz captaincy: Ian Chappell - Dec 21, 2010
Tags: batsman, bloke, broken finger, captain ricky, cricketer, debut, fifth ashes test, fracture, hilditch, khawaja, man squad, match, melbourne cricket ground, new south wales, ricky, selectors, shoes, two seasons, usman, x rays