Adelaide, Dec 13 (IANS) Australia opener Usman Khawaja remains confident of playing for his side amid a debate intensifying over his exclusion in the third Test against England at Adelaide Oval.

Although Khawaja has stated that he is ‘100 percent fit’ and prepared to participate in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide the following week, he remains uncertain about his selection.

After Australia won the first two Test with the opening tandem of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald, Khawaja, who will turn 39 on day two of the third Ashes Test, stated he is unfazed by the rumors circulating regarding his playing future.

“I’m still valued by the team, still asked to be here to play, so I’m here. I’m always mindful of the future, I always have been. I’m not here to hang on, I’m just here to enjoy my cricket. As long as I’m valued I’m here, I’m doing my job. I just like to compete. I can bat so many different ways. I’ve been successful in all formats, I’ve got gears when I want to. My sample size will tell you that you’ve got to find a way to be consistent for a long period of time, not just over a game or two,” Khawaja was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia.

The 85-Test veteran defended his record while dismissing Head’s remarks, which he had been trying to address before seizing his opportunity in Perth, and showed no indication of an imminent retirement.

“I am the guy who, as much as people sometimes want to have a have a crack at me, I love playing for Australia, I’m still very committed. “I train hard, I do everything right. So for me, it’s irrelevant (what others say). For me, it’s more about just being a professional. People can have opinions that’s absolutely no worries to me. I can’t sit down and worry about what other people think, especially outside of the squad,” Khawaja insisted.

In Perth, Khawaja suffered back spasms that prevented him from opening in the first innings due to time spent off the field. His condition worsened when he took the field for Australia’s second bowling innings, ultimately ending his time at the Gabba Test.

Selectors are unsure whether to stick with the new strategy or revert to their pre-series approach following Head’s all-time best century in the second innings at Perth and their lightning-fast partnership approach in Brisbane, where the pair built partnerships of 77 off 79 and 37 off 35.

“I’ve got to be totally honest, it doesn’t really faze me. The older I’ve got, the more comfortable I’ve got with things that I can control and things that I can’t. And I feel really good in terms of I’m ready to go. The rest of it is not in my control. So we’ll see what happens,” Khawaja said of the speculation.

“I’m probably a bit more structured in how I’m trying to get ready for this next game. I won’t do too much today – I just came straight off the flight. I’ll walk, loosen up and stretch, then work my way up tomorrow. I’ve never enjoyed doing stuff the day of flights anyway, but I’m probably bit more cautionary about it now.

“I think that was half the reason why what happened (in Perth) happened – the long flight, a six-hour flight, a bit of a delay didn’t help. I did feel sore after it, so always be mindful of flights,” he added.

The Adelaide Test will kick off on Wednesday with hosts Australia leading the series 2-0.

–IANS

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