Former Australian opener Simon Katich suggests that the Australian team management should go with Usman Khawaja as their opening batsman in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan in the UAE. Khawaja has batted at No. 3 for the most part of his career – 51 out of 57 Test innings to be exact. However, Katich reckons that Khawaja’s seniority up the order will help Australia in the absence of banned season campaigners David Warner, Steve Smith, and Cameron Bancroft.

During SEN’s Whateley program, Simon said, “I think they need some seniority at the top of the order and given he (Khawaja) has batted at three it might actually suit him to get out there and get into it straight away. He is an opener from way back when he first started playing club cricket.”

In Test cricket, Khawaja has played the role of an opener twice for Australia in Test cricket and has done exceptionally well. He smashed 145 against South Africa at Adelaide Oval in 2017 and played an unbeaten knock 79 against Pakistan in the same year when he replaced Matt Renshaw, who was unable to bat due to a concussion.

ALSO READ: Simon Katich Asks Chris Lynn To Take The Final Call

Meanwhile, Renshaw has been in red-hot form in recent time. After being dropped from the Ashes squad in 2017, he returned to the Sheffield Shield and smashed as many as three centuries to help Queensland win the title. He was then recalled for the Johannesburg Test but didn’t do well, but after that, he amassed 523 runs in six first-class matches for his County club Somerset.

Taking about him, Katich said, “The one positive for me recently is that Matt Renshaw made a lot of County runs in England, which is a great sign for a young player. He’ll definitely get a look-in at the start of the Australian summer if he can back it up with some Shield runs and potentially some runs on this A tour (in India). I’d say he’s going to be a frontrunner for that role. Who opens with him? I think the Pakistan series might tell a few stories. It wouldn’t surprise me if Usman Khawaja opened in that series.”

Talking about Glenn Maxwell, Simon said the explosive all-rounder can force his way back into the squad only if he scores runs in the domestic circuit. he concluded, “I think he needs to get some runs on the board at the start of the season and particularly if he wants to grab an opportunity in this Test team. He’s sort of been in and out and done well in the subcontinent at times but he hasn’t really had a good run at it at home in Australia.”