3rd Test: Allan Border emphasizes the need for Khawaja to put in the effort

Brisbane, Dec 15 (NationPress) Allan Border, the former Australian cricketer, has urged seasoned left-handed opener Usman Khawaja to put in the necessary effort if he aims to participate in Test cricket for an additional twelve months.

During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Khawaja faced another disappointing outing, getting out for just 21 runs against Jasprit Bumrah at the Gabba on Sunday. As Khawaja approaches his 38th birthday on Wednesday, concerns have emerged regarding his ability to retain his spot in the team as next year’s Ashes series approaches.

“He’s got to really put in those hard yards. If that (motivation) starts to fade, you can almost be certain that your performance will decline. He’s inherently a talented player… he has dedicated significant effort, but he needs to continue to do that, and even more. With a young family now, those responsibilities may start to take precedence over the sport,” Border explained.

“Perhaps you begin to cut corners in your training, and that’s when you might start to slip. That’s when people begin to say, ‘Oh, he’s 38, maybe it’s time to move on.’ It really comes down to his priorities and whether he still possesses that drive. As you age, cutting corners becomes unfeasible,” Border remarked in an interview with Fox Sports.

This year, Khawaja’s Test average stands at 25.3. Drawing from his own experience of retiring after the South Africa tour in 1994, Border elaborated on why it’s typical for a batter’s performance to wane with age.

“I was eager to compete against them, but I came to the realization that I probably shouldn’t have played that additional year. It was tempting, but looking back, I should have stepped away the previous season. I could sense myself lagging behind the ball,” he noted.

“Your body naturally slows down. Even in my late thirties, while batting, I would think, ‘I would normally play that shot.’ However, I’d let it go. Scoring runs took much longer than it did when I was 28, simply due to slower foot movement and reaction times. As I aged, I found myself lagging behind. Even cover drives would trickle for a single instead of a boundary. It’s just about those reaction times,” he concluded.