Usman Khawaja was omitted from Cricket Australia's list of central contracts for the 2020/21 season.
Australian batsman Usman Khawaja, who was omitted in the list of central contracts for 2020/21 season, remains optimistic about his international future. In a conversation with Fox Sports, Khawaja said that he still has 'lot of good years' left in him.
With Khawaja, Marcus Stoinis was also left out in the list.
"It’s disappointing, it’s never nice, I’ve been through it before, they say practice makes perfect but it’s never an easy thing to hear. I think I’ve still got a lot of good years left in me,” Khawaja said.
“Without sounding arrogant, I still feel like I’m one of the top six batsmen in the country and hopefully this year I can go out keep scoring runs and keep doing my thing. I’ve been through it all the ups and downs before and I’m probably in better shape now to come back from this than I was five years ago."
He further added that he is in his 'best shape'.
“I’m in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time. I’m disciplined with my eating, the rig is look pretty good at the moment so I’m quite happy with that. From the cricket side of it, I’ve changed and grown a lot. In ODI, Test cricket and T20 cricket, I’ve become a more well rounded player, there were always issues with me about spin and I’ve squashed claims over the past couple of years," he said.
“My playing against spin has been right up there as some of the best in the country, bar maybe Steve Smith, who is an absolute genius. I think that holds me in good stead because for me, before I was always seen as a Test cricketer who has to play in the top order but personally, I think I can play anywhere in the top six and I’ve scored first-class hundreds anywhere in the top six so for me it opens up a bit of an avenue.”
