Khawaja will challenge Ponting for no 3 slot, says Waugh
January 4th, 2011 - 4:45 pm ICT by IANSSydney, Jan 4 (IANS) Former Australian captain Steve Waugh is so impressed with debutant batsman Usman Khawaja that he feels the Pakistan-born might put skipper Ricky Ponting’s regular one-down slot in danger. Seeing Khawaja bat on the first day of the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney Monday, Waugh said the southpaw will challenge Ponting for the number 3 position.
Khawaja scored a confident 37 before getting out to Graeme Swann.
“Ricky, look, he has been a great player at no. 3,” Waugh was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday.
“There is going to be a lot of opinion. Ricky has been a great no. 3 and probably will continue to be a great no .3 but Khawaja, the way he played, he has had such poise and he is definitely the future of Australian cricket going forward.”
“That (no.3 position) is going to be a tough call for selectors. That is why they are the selectors and I am not. They are going to make their call, not me, and they have got to sit together and work it out.
“I just like seeing someone debuting for Australia and doing well because I know how nervous you can be on the big stage.
“You are not guaranteed success so to go out and play so well, I was just happy for him,” said Waugh.
After the Sydney Test, Australia play their next-five day game against Sri Lanka in August.
- Oz selectors face hard choice to retain Ponting at No 3: Waugh - Jan 04, 2011
- Ponting backs Khwaja for No.3 position - Dec 30, 2010
- Arthur backs Khawaja to come good in Tests - Dec 17, 2011
- Khawaja, Beer to make debuts in Sydney Ashes Test - Jan 02, 2011
- Clarke to lead Australia in fifth Ashes Test - Dec 30, 2010
- I'm not here to fill Ponting's shoes, says Usman Khawaja - Dec 31, 2010
- Khawaja says he's ready for Test call up if Punter pulls out - Dec 20, 2010
- Ponting is elephant in the room, says Cairns - Nov 30, 2011
- Khawaja will be a standby for Ponting - Dec 21, 2010
- Australia name unchanged side for second Test - Dec 08, 2011
- England to aim for Ashes series win in Sydney - Jan 01, 2011
- Veteran Oz Test cricketers told to score to keep place intact: Chappell - Apr 14, 2011
- Khawaja looks like a Test cricketer: Border - Jan 04, 2011
- Australia field four debutants against New Zealand - Nov 26, 2011
- Clarke happy to 'run things' past Ponting - Jan 02, 2011
Tags: australia, australian captain, australian cricket, captain steve waugh, day game, england, fifth ashes test, morning herald, number 3, pakistan, poise, ricky, selectors, skipper, southpaw, sri lanka, swann, sydney morning herald, usman