Usman Khawaja says Australia’s gamers lastly being handled like adults by teaching workers has empowered the group and is a part of the explanation behind a number of breakthrough victories prior to now 18 months.
Australia’s two-wicket win over England at Edgbaston to open the Ashes is already set to go down in Ashes folklore, after Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon’s 55-run ninth-wicket stand.
Beyond a 1-0 lead within the collection, it additionally marked the primary time Australia have received a really shut recreation prior to now decade, whereas 281 was their largest fourth-innings chase since 2011.
It’s one in all a number of drought-breakers by Australia in recent times.
Cummins’ males received their first collection in Asia since 2011 once they beat Pakistan final 12 months, and whereas they misplaced in India earlier this 12 months they did win a maiden World Test Championship final week.
Khawaja has additionally starred in that interval, his century within the first innings at Edgbaston being his seventh since his Test return in 2022. He has additionally usually spoken about being extra snug and relaxed in himself.
“It’s hard to quantity it (in the wins), but I think everything around that is being done with the team, with Pat and Andrew McDonald in terms of just cutting out the fluff,” Khawaja stated.
“Cutting out the box-ticking stuff. Really stripping down the game, saying what’s important, what do we think is important?
“Even warm-ups each morning now are elective, do no matter you’ll want to. That sort of stuff empowers gamers. It’s empowered us. We take onus on ourselves.
“At the end of the day you are responsible for your own performance because that in itself impacts the team. If you are letting the team down in any way, that’s on you.
“We are all professionals and adults right here and assume it is the primary time for a very long time that we have actually been handled like adults and that is made an enormous distinction.”
Khawaja created headlines when he was seen telling coach Justin Langer in the 2019 Amazon documentary ‘The Test’ that players were afraid of the coach.
Both have maintained since then they have a good relationship, and that there were no ill feelings from those comments.
Langer exited as Australia’s coach in controversial circumstances in February 2022 amid concerns from players that the coach was too intense.
Khawaja’s comments come after David Warner said a fortnight ago he was “listening to different voices” and not playing his natural game when he averaged 9.5 on the last tour of England in 2019.
Khawaja said Australia’s ability to win was also built on a stable side, with shuffling between bowlers based on conditions the only real changes to the team in the past 18 months.
“We have an excellent, very skilled group,” Khawaja stated.
“Our bowling assault may be very skilled, batting assault may be very skilled. We’ve had a group collectively for a year-and-a-half, two years now which has gelled collectively.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
