Khawaja set to address media on Friday as retirement speculation swirls

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Australian Test star Usman Khawaja will front a press conference on Friday morning to address speculation about his playing future.

Khawaja, 39, will play in the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG, starting on Sunday, but his Test future beyond that is unclear.

Usman Khawaja at Australian training on Thursday at the SCG.

A press conference is scheduled at the SCG for 8.15am and while Cricket Australia has not revealed who will speak, this masthead has confirmed Khawaja will front the media. The media opportunity has been brought forward to run before Australia’s main training session on Friday.

Khawaja has played 87 Tests for Australia, scoring 6206 runs at 43.39, including 16 centuries since his debut in 2011 in Sydney.

It has been a rollercoaster Ashes series for Khawaja, who injured his back in the first Test in Perth and didn’t feature in the next match in Brisbane. He was set to be omitted from the team for the third Test in Adelaide but came back into the XI when Steve Smith was taken ill on the morning of the match.

Khawaja has made 82, 40, 29 and 0 in his last four innings.

The SCG pitch, three days out from the fifth Ashes Test.

Meanwhile, Australia’s batsmen got their first look at a green SCG pitch on Thursday, three days out from the fifth Test, as pressure rises on ground staff to produce a more balanced surface than the one that contributed to a two-day Test in Melbourne.

Australia’s Ashes-winning squad took part in an optional New Year’s Day training session and inspected a strip that carried a noticeable green tinge under overcast skies.

Reading too much into a pitch at such an early stage is risky, but the initial signs suggest seam movement could again play a part.

Fine weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday, but up to 10 millimetres of rain is predicted for day one, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of a “high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon,” and a “likely” thunderstorm.

MCC chief Stuart Fox and curator Matt Page answer tough questions after a two-day Test at the MCG.

Sydney has endured poor luck with weather recently, with six of the past 11 Tests at the SCG ending in rain-affected draws.

The MCG pitch was rated “unsatisfactory” by the International Cricket Council after 36 wickets fell in two days and neither team selected a frontline spinner.

MCG curator Matt Page acknowledged the day after the match his team had got the pitch’s preparations wrong, placing extra scrutiny on SCG curator Adam Lewis ahead of Sunday.

Lewis was seen in lengthy discussion with Venues NSW chairman David Gallop on Thursday while inspecting the surface.

Todd Murphy goes through his paces at the SCG on Thursday.

Administrators will be desperate for the match to reach day five after last summer’s Test against India finished before tea on day three.

“I’ve only seen it from afar and my eyes obviously aren’t amazing,” said Australian spinner Todd Murphy. “It’s hard to pick out exactly what it’ll be and we’re three days out. It looks like there’s a bit of grass on it … but no idea, I haven’t looked closely at it.”

Murphy, eyeing a maiden Test on home soil, played for Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG earlier this season and said conditions evolved as cracks opened.

“For the first day and a half it was pretty good batting conditions,” Murphy said. “It was flat and maybe a little bit on the slower side, then the cracks came in after that and the game sped up. There was a little bit of spin on offer, there was a little bit on offer for everyone.

Usman Khawaja in the SCG nets on Thursday.

“We’ve played on some BBL wickets where it has taken spin.”

Khawaja, who debuted at the SCG in 2011 and struck twin centuries in the last home Ashes series in 2021-22, was among the first in the nets ahead of what could be his final Test in Australia.

Captain Steve Smith - Pat Cummins has been rested from the match - and Marnus Labuschagne were also hard at work, while all-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster spent a solid amount of time in the nets.

Webster debuted at the SCG last summer, but despite Green’s struggles with the bat this season, he is favoured to retain his place.

Australia, who lead the series 3-1 after victories in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, will have its main training session on Friday before a likely naming of an XI on Saturday on match eve.