Queensland captain Marnus Labuschagne has confirmed that Usman Khawaja will play in the Sheffield Shield final starting Wednesday at Karen Rolton Oval, and tips a week of off field distractions to bring out the best of the Australian opener.
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Queensland high performance manager Joe Dawes started a public spat with Khawaja, claiming he and the Bulls were unaware of the 38-year-old’s hamstring injury that kept him out of the final game of the regular season, also against South Australia at the same venue.
The ridicule gathered momentum as Khawaja was in Melbourne at the Formula One Grand Prix while the Shield match was taking place, and he later passionately defended himself in a press conference, calling Dawes’ allegations “categorically untrue” and expressing his disappointment.
Just as he responded to calls for his retirement during the home summer against India with a prolific tour of Sri Lanka, including a maiden Test double century, Labuschagne expects Khawaja to hit back at his critics with his bat.
“No, not at all,” Labuschagne said at the captains’ pre-game press conference when asked if Khawaja would be distracted by the lead up.
“If anything, it’ll probably improve his performance. He just loves the big moments. He’s been an amazing player for a long time, so I don’t think he’s going to have any issues with going out there and performing at his best.”
South Australian skipper Nathan McSweeney, who opened the batting alongside the elegant left-hander in the first three Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, shared the same belief as Labuschagne, having spoken to Khawaja about organising a round of golf while in Adelaide.
“He wanted to see if he could get a tee time at Kooyonga,” McSweeney said. “So I did send him a cheeky text. But he’s all good. He’s a professional player, has been for a long time now, and I think he’ll be definitely ready here tomorrow, and he’ll be a massive wicket for us.”
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McSweeney also has no qualms about putting his close friendship with Labuschagne aside for the coming five days.
There is a four-year age gap between the pair, but Australia’s Test number three has been a mentor to McSweeney ever since he came through the Queensland ranks as a junior.
The 26-year-old relocated to Adelaide in 2021 and the move has been a fruitful one, leading to captaining the state and the making his Test debut last summer.
The pair have stayed in almost daily contact in that time, but will be hitting pause for the Shield decider.
“Marnus has been great for me and my game, but when we’re out there tomorrow we’re definitely not mates and he’ll be trying his best to make runs, as will I,” McSweeney said.
“Obviously he’s a great cricket brain and he’s been able to be a successful international player for a long time, so I love talking about the game with him.
“And just life, and the challenges that come across us as professional cricketers.
“He’s a bit older than me, he’s seen a little bit more of it so he’s a great one to bounce ideas off and I’m very lucky how open he is about the game being an opposition player.
“There definitely won’t be any matey chat over the next five days, but he’s been excellent for me.”
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Labuschagne agrees as he recalled first coming across McSweeney at junior trials at Brisbane State High, where Labuschagne has recently graduated and was helping with the school’s recruitment program.
“I saw him there and I said ‘mate, we’ve got to get this kid’ and unfortunately he ended up going to Nudgee College,” Labuschagne said.
“And as he came through the ranks and played for Queensland in junior stuff, and then for Norths in (Brisbane Premier) cricket I just got to know him.
“Then he came into the squad and I loved his appetite to learn and his appetite to grow, and that’s probably what attracted us the most.
“I think appetite to learn and grow beats talent every day of the week.
“But tomorrow there’s going to be no friendly chat.
“It’s going to be all game face and we’re going to be trying everything to unsettle him and trying to get him out early because we know how effective he’s been this season for South Australia.
“So the friendship will (temporarily) finish probably at the end of today.”
Queensland are yet to confirm the final make up of their XI with one change necessary to bring Khawaja back in, neither are South Australia.
South Australia squad: Nathan McSweeney (capt), Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton
Queensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Jack Wildermuth
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