As David Warner is set to bid adieu to Test cricket, his opening partner Usman Khawaja has asked the Australian selectors to pick an opener with class and not go for form. Australia are set to face Pakistan in a three-match Test series and Warner had stated that the third Test in Sydney to be his swansong in the format.
While speaking to SEN Radio, Khawaja stated that he is not worried about his next opening partner but wants that player to be picked on class and not form. "To be honest, it (who my next opening partner is) doesn't really matter to me, genuinely. Whoever the selectors are going to pick, they're going to pick because they think they're the best for the role," Khawaja told on SEN Radio.
"I don't even believe in the 'bat-off' people are talking about right now. I think it is going to come to a lot more than that. You can't pick teams on form. You've got to pick teams on who you think the best player is. If we pick teams on form, the Australian team would be changing every second week, so you just can't do that," he added.
Khawaja then stated that class values much more than form. "Class is always permanent. The form is always temporary. It will be interesting to see which way they go. I actually don't know," he added. The Southpaw stated that making runs at first-class cricket is crucial too. "I think it (making runs) does (play into it. But I think if you go a bit further back for the last five years, all of the guys that are in contention would have scored a truckload of runs," he said.
