Khawaja’s time in suspension looks set to end for the Ashes tour of England in July.
Australian batsman Usman Khawaja saw his time in the Test side come to an abrupt end during the tour of India after being suspended from the side.
The 26-year-old was one of four members of the Australia team to be axed from the third Test in Mohali for failing to do their homework.
Steve Smith replaced Khawaja in the side and Smith kept his place for the fourth Test in Delhi, as the Pakistani-born batsman watched on from the pavilion.
Smith scored 161 runs in four innings for Australia, which far from being a disrespectful total won’t have blown the Aussie selectors away.
Captain Michael Clarke and the selection committee may also be wanting something of an overhaul in the Test side after a humiliating 4-0 whitewash against the Indians.
Khawaja is a fairly new addition to the Australian five-day setup and he clearly has admirers in the national hierarchy.
“He has a good technique against pace bowling and is certainly in contention for a top-six batting place in the Ashes,” chairman of the selectors John Inverarity said on news.com.au.
The batsman’s ability to bat against pace should stand him in good stead if he plays in the Ashes, with England likely to lead the bowling attack with seamers Stuart Broad and Steven Finn.
Australia will be hoping to see significant improvements in the Ashes series in July, after poor performances in India are coupled with Clarke’s side failing to regain the famous urn since 2007.
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