Australian batter Usman Khawaja completed 8,000 international runs during the fourth Ashes Test. The 39-year-old veteran has not been having a memorable Ashes so far. His scores read 2, 82, 40, 29, and 0. Former Australian cricket team captain Michael Clarke has urged the veteran batter to retire before the fifth Ashes Test, saying Khawaja has the perfect chance to walk away with his head held high. "I think this will be Usman's farewell Test match. I don't think it's a token selection; they obviously picked him for Melbourne, so if they've gone that way, you pick him for Sydney as well," Clarke told Code Sports.
"But I think he'll retire after this Test match. Australia will win the series. Hopefully, he goes out with a big score. I'd love to see Uz make a hundred at the SCG and walk away on a high because not many people get that opportunity."
Meanwhile, former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden blasted Australia's top order, calling their scorecard "unacceptable" and criticising Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, and Cameron Green for struggling with basic techniques. Hayden's comments came after Australia lost to England in the fourth Ashes Test. The match ended in just two days, with Australia bowled out for 152 and 132 in both innings.
No Australian batter reached 50 in the match. Seamer Michael Neser top-scored for Australia in the first innings, while Travis Head managed the most runs in the second innings.
"That's an unacceptable scorecard. I don't care if it was 50 millimetres of grass. You need to be better than that. Head, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Khawaja, Carey, Green - they're all at sea with their basic techniques. The only technical thing I see is coming from our bowlers, who look more technically sound than our batters. Why is that?" Matthew Hayden said on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.
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