‘Don’t let them decide’: Ex-England captain’s blunt message to Usman Khawaja on Test retirement | Cricket News
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said Usman Khawaja should take control of his own future and decide for himself when to walk away from Test cricket, with the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground looming as a possible farewell.“There comes a point where you can’t let other people decide your destiny,” Vaughan said. “I would say to Usman, ‘Don’t let them decide. You decide your destiny.’ When someone has played for as long as he has, you’ve got to let the player make that call.” Vaughan was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday. Khawaja is set to play his 88th Test when Australia face England at the SCG from January 4. Having turned 39 during the third Test in Adelaide, his future has become a major talking point, even though he has looked comfortable since moving into the middle order. “Usman has had an incredible career,” Vaughan said. “Not many players get the chance to say goodbye on their own terms, at their own venue. If he doesn’t do that, he runs the risk of his career ending in a way he doesn’t control.” Vaughan felt the setting could hardly be more fitting if Khawaja does choose to step away. “I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye than at your home ground, in an Ashes series,” he said. “If Uzzie still has the energy and really wants to fight on, I can see that happening. But leaving in Sydney in an Ashes series sounds pretty good to me.” He also pointed to the broader transition Australia are facing. “The likes of Matt Renshaw, Nathan McSweeney, Campbell Kellaway and Ollie Peake are the players we’ve got to start bringing into the Australian side over the next year or so,” Vaughan said. Turning to England, Vaughan said the SCG Test carries major significance for the touring side and its leadership group. “For the future, and for this management in particular, they need to win a strong game of cricket here,” he said. “Not a two dayer. They need a proper week.” Vaughan believes Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are likely to continue, but warned the result in Sydney will matter. “I’m pretty sure Ben and Baz will carry on, but they need a good week for that to be absolutely rock solid,” he said. “There’s a huge appetite within the group to keep Brendon on, but if they get pummelled in Sydney, there have to be some honest conversations.” He added that constant changes would not help English cricket, but denial would be dangerous. “Chopping and changing isn’t necessarily the right thing,” Vaughan said. “But they’ve got to accept they got a lot wrong on this tour. If they think they were just unlucky or things didn’t go their way, then we’ve got a problem going forward.” Vaughan signed off by stressing the need for growth within the team. “The key is maturity,” he said. “That’s where this team can be a lot better, in how they play and how they talk. If they can accept that, I’ve got no problem with the management staying the same.”
