http://www.senore.com/Cricket/CH-Gayle-c1221 – Cricket News Update
West Indies’ swashbuckling all-rounder, Chris Gayle, has backed Usman Khawaja to shine for the Aussie national side after working with the player during his ongoing stint with Sydney Thunder.
Both left-handers represent the underperforming Big Bash side, which recently lost their eleventh consecutive match since the franchise’s inception last year. The latest defeat came at the hands of their cross-town rivals and reigning champions, Sydney Sixers,
which keeps the ANZ based outfit without a win this season.
The only positive from the game was the innings of Khawaja, who found his usual groove to score an unbeaten 66 which included 11 boundaries. His knock helped his team recover from 75 for 5 to eventually post 132.
While his batting displays went in vain as the franchise lost by four-wickets, it certainly prompted Gayle to admire the talent of the Pakistani-born player. Khawaja was axed from the Test side last year, after managing just 263 runs in six matches, at a
lowly average of 29.22.
However, he quickly set his sights on regaining his place back, and in the past 12 months, has worked imperiously hard on his technique. That determination paid off after he was called up to the national side during the ongoing http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 series as cover
for skipper Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120, who is nursing a sore hamstring.
It was Khawaja’s performances in the ongoing domestic season that brought his elevation, where he sits third on the leading run-scorers in the Sheffield Shield – the premier first-class competition in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
With http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MEK-Hussey-c1942 following suit, it has left a gaping hole in Australia’s top six, and Gayle feels that Khawaja has what it takes to become a Test regular, and emulate the success achieved
by Clarke, who became the first person to score four Test double-hundreds in a year.
"He definitely has a bright Test career ahead of him," Gayle said."If given the chance, I can't see any reason why he can't score runs and be dominant like a http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Clarke-c1978 in the future. Once he gets his chance, hopefully he'll make use of it."
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