Khawaja confirmed for Sydney Ashes test

The media speculates that it could be his last international match

SYDNEY:

Australia head coach and selector Andrew McDonald has confirmed Usman Khawaja will play in the fifth Ashes test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground amid media speculation it could be his last international.
The oldest player in an ageing squad, the 39-year-old lefthander's spot in the line-up is under scrutiny following his demotion down the batting order and as selectors look to the future.
With the promoted Travis Head taking his opening spot, Khawaja batted at number four in the third Adelaide test and number five in the fourth match in Melbourne.
While some reports in Australian media have suggested Sydney could be Khawaja's last international, McDonald said he had not had any conversations with him about his future.
"There's no indication at my end that he's calling it in Sydney," McDonald told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
"But his performance in this calendar year has been good enough to warrant selection so I'd say he'll be there marking centre in Sydney."
Khawaja has not spoken publicly of his plans and returned home to Queensland for a break with family ahead of the Sydney test, which starts on January 4.
The 87-test veteran suffered back spasms during the first Ashes test in Perth and missed the second match in Brisbane.
He is averaging just over 30 with the bat in his three Ashes tests and scored 82 at Adelaide Oval to help Australia seal the series with two matches to spare.
However, he scored 29 and zero in his two innings in the fourth test in Melbourne as the hosts slumped to a four-wicket defeat.
While criticised for a soft dismissal in his second innings in Melbourne, Khawaja's numbers stack up better than several Australian batters this series, including opener Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and all-rounder Cameron Green.
On the bowling front, Australia will again be without three of their world-class bowlers in Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon in Sydney.
Cricket Australia (CA) said in an injury update on Monday that Lyon would not play any further part in the home summer after having surgery on a high-grade hamstring injury he sustained during the third Ashes test.
A target date for his return would be determined later.
CA said Hazlewood had started running again after hamstring and Achilles injuries and was on track to play in the T20 World Cup starting on February 7.
McDonald said Cummins would be included in Australia's squad of 15 for the World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, but would need to be cleared by a scan on his lower back.
"Pat will have a scan, I think in another four weeks, so that'll give us the information then on where he's at for the World Cup," McDonald added.
 
'Unsatisfactory' MCG pitch
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch for the Boxing Day test between Australia and England has been given an “unsatisfactory” rating after 20 wickets fell in the first three sessions and the match was wrapped up inside two days.
England won the low-scoring fourth Ashes test by four wickets on a minefield of a pitch, with the premature finish leaving Cricket Australia (CA) millions of dollars out of pocket.
“The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers,” match referee Jeff Crowe said in a statement issued by the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday.
“With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was ‘Unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point.”
The MCG’s demerit point will stand for the next five years. A venue accruing six demerit points in a five-year period leads to a one-year ban on hosting an international cricket match.
Curator Matt Page was left in a “state of shock” at the breakneck pace of the match on a greentop where MCG staff had left 10 millimetres of grass – three mm taller than last year’s Boxing Day test.
CA Chief of Cricket James Allsopp said the pitch did not provide  the MCG’s customary  balance  between bat and ball but was confident the issue would not be repeated.
“We’re  confident they will  deliver  first-rate surfaces  for next year’s Boxing Day test against New Zealand and the  hugely  anticipated  150th  anniversary test against England in  March  2027,” he added.