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Usman Khawaja opposes Marnus Labuschagne’s opening gambit

Usman Khawaja has pushed for a specialist opener to take Warner's spot when he eventually retires.

Dec 5, 2023 1:41 pm

David Warner will be hoping for a successful farewell series, having struggled in the red-ball format for a while now

Usman Khawaja — David Warner will be hoping for a successful farewell series, having struggled in the red-ball format for a while now

The upcoming three-Test series between Pakistan and Australia will mark the end of David Warner’s illustrious Test match career. Warner, 37, announced over a year ago his intention to retire from the longest format of the game after the Sydney Test against Pakistan, which will be the third Test.

David Warner has played 109 Tests so far, scoring 8,487 runs at an average of 44.43, including 25 centuries and 36 half-centuries. However, Warner has not been in the best of form in the last couple of years, with an average in the twenties, inflated by his double-century against South Africa last summer. David Warner‘s retirement will leave a significant void in Australia’s batting line-up, as the openers in contention to replace him have struggled to cement their positions. Despite numerous opportunities, players like Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw have failed to consistently demonstrate the reliability and performance required for a Test opener role.

Last week, Australian coach Andrew McDonald hinted at the possibility of promoting Marnus Labuschagne to the opening slot in Test cricket following Warner’s retirement. This move would create a vacancy in the middle order for Cameron Green, who recently lost his place to Mitchell Marsh.

“He’s got opening-itis!”

Usman Khawaja, Australia’s incumbent Test opener, expressed his reservations about the proposed promotion of Labuschagne to the opening position, advocating for a specialist opener to fill the vacancy left by David Warner’s retirement. Khawaja emphasized the demanding nature of opening in Test cricket, requiring a unique skill set. “Have you asked Marnus this? I think he would give you a really clear, ‘hell no’. Marnus has got opening-itis,” Khawaja said.

“Opening is not easy. It’s tough work. I can tell you that because I’ve batted at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for Australia. I’m telling you by far opening is the hardest and it’s very hard to bring someone who hasn’t opened. I’m positive if you put Marnus up there at opening he would do very well. But would he do as well opening as he does at No.3? I’m not sure,” he added in defense of his thoughts.

The successful transition of an opener into the Test team will be essential for Australia’s continued success in the red-ball format but only time will tell who will replace Warner at the top of the order. For now, Australia will hope that one of its great servants has a memorable end to a stellar career. The opening Test of the series will be held in Perth on December 14, followed by matches in Melbourne and Sydney.