Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin says helium expects Usman Khawaja to play successful the opening Ashes Test astatine the Gabba adjacent week.
Khawaja and Travis Head look to beryllium locked successful a conflict for the fig 5 spot successful the batting order.
Khawaja hasn't played a Test since the 2019 Ashes tour, portion Head was dropped during past summer's bid against India.
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In Khawaja's favour is the information helium averages 52.97 successful Test matches successful Australia, but helium turns 35 adjacent period and is giving distant 7 years successful property to Head.
While Head is the semipermanent option, fixed the precocious illustration quality of the Ashes bid selectors whitethorn person nary contented with picking Khawaja to hole a short-term problem.
Speaking connected the Follow-On podcast, Haddin made the lawsuit for Khawaja.
"I can't spot them picking Usman Khawaja successful the squad and not playing him successful the Test," helium said.
"I spot nary crushed wherefore you'd person a 34-year-old successful the squad if you are not going to play him. He's been successful bully form. I cognize it's pugnacious connected Travis Head. He volition get his clip playing for Australia.
"I deliberation idiosyncratic similar Khawaja, he's experienced and beauteous chilled with wherever he's astatine arsenic a cricketer and person.
"He's been starring Queensland to precise charismatic cricket implicit the past mates of years and batting astatine 4 scoring runs. He has a bully knowing with Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. I don't caput that experience."
Both Khawaja and Head apical the batting averages for their respective states successful this season's Sheffield Shield. Khawaja has made 460 runs astatine 65.71 for Queensland, portion Head has scored 349 runs for South Australia astatine 49.25.
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