- June 17, 2025
Khawaja Usman was just recently one of Australia’s great comeback stories, returning with consummate ease to Test cricket, making runs like he had ever missed the beat. Like they say, cricket is a game that a lot of people forget, especially when it is played at a high level. One slump, one bad run, and the questions start coming in again. After a shocking 2025 WTC Final against South Africa, former England captain Michael Vaughan thinks Khawaja is on a downward trajectory. But is he? Is Khawaja running empty, or is this another bump in an already long road?
Struggles on the Big Stage: A Worrying Pattern
When the lights shine bright, you want your top-order to stand tall. For Khawaja, his figures in the last two marquee games have been troublingly low. He scored 0 and 6 in the WTC Final, both out to Kagiso Rabada’s clever angle from around the wicket. This will not be the first time that Khawaja has struggled in this way, as it forms part of a wider pattern.
Earlier this year, Jasprit Bumrah made Khawaja look silly during the home series against India: he could only muster one half-century through that entire series. That is not great for someone playing in the comfort of their home conditions. Vaughan noted in his column that Khawaja has looked particularly ill at ease against premium fast bowling when faced with even minimal movement on the surface.
Batting Out of Position, or Just Out of Time?
One of Vaughan’s more astute observations, Khawaja isn’t the only one struggling—Australia’s top three is a jigsaw puzzle of disjointed pieces. Cameron Green, who is a middle-order batsman, is being shoved up. Marnus Labuschagne has struggled to find any rhythm at all, which left Khawaja a little exposed from the outset.
However, it is Khawaja Usman – and he is the oldest of the three – who holds the hottest seat. In addition to Khawaja’s age, at 38, time is not on his side. And with players like Marcus Harris, Matthew Renshaw, and even younger players like Tim Ward circling, there will be some internal pressure. If Khawaja is unable to perform in the West Indies series, there is nothing unreasonable in the selectors taking a long-term perspective, especially with the Ashes coming later in the year.
More Than Just Khawaja: Cracks in the Aussie Wall
It’s easy to point the finger at one player, but Australia is a lot more than just one player. Vaughan was correct about the bowling group (Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, and Lyon), all now over 30. If you’re playing a Test Ashes series, then fitness and workloads are a concern. When you add in the failures in the top order, then there’s a great deal of pressure on England.
Ben Stokes’ team may not have forfeited a Test in Australia since 2011, and could potentially be facing their best chance in over a decade. Not only are the Aussies under the pump, but they are transitioning. If Khawaja’s form doesn’t improve soon, he may unfortunately become the poster boy of that transition.
Usman Khawaja has had a brilliant career, laced with determination, class, and a heap of underappreciation. With the Ashes underway and Australia’s batting line-up dysfunctional at the moment, Khawaja is probably not as safe as houses anymore. For the first time in a while, Khawaja’s next few innings are not only going to define his position in the team, but possibly dictate the end of his international career too.
Is it a comeback again, or is he done? What do you reckon – should Australia look elsewhere, or do you reckon Khawaja’s got one bigger act left?
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