Khawaja will find it difficult to return to Test side: Ponting

SYDNEY: Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, believes it is difficult for Usman Khawaja to make it back to the Test team. The left-hander lost his place in the Test side during the 2019 Ashes and was subsequently overlooked for the home summer against Pakistan and New Zealand. Marnus Labuschagne who had come in as the concussion substitute for Smith at Lord's grabbed his opportunity and cemented a place in the XI which resulted in the omission of Khawaja once Smith returned.

The 33-year-old has not played white-ball cricket since getting injured just before the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup. He was also left out of the recently announced central contracts list for players due to his poor returns in Sheffield Shield where he scored only 202 runs in 11 innings at an average of 18.36. Speaking to ABC Grandstand, Ponting said, "I honestly think now he's going to find it difficult [to get back into the Australian team] and I feel for him.

"I love Usman Khawaja, I got really close to him over the last 10 years since he made his debut and I talk to him quite regularly.

"I've always felt he's a very good player and we probably never saw the absolute best of him at international cricket. We saw glimpses of it, and dribs and drabs, but not the consistently good player I thought he could have been for Australia."