Khawaja ready to move on from stint on sidelines

Usman Khawaja holds no bitterness towards selectors for spending most of the year on the sidelines and says he's ready to make a major contribution in Australia's quest to win back the Ashes urn.

And the 30-year-old has also revealed the hilarious way he's supported dumped state teammate Matthew Renshaw in the past few days - by showing him "no mercy" at the pool table.

Boasting a Test average of 64 in home Tests, Khawaja looms as a key weapon in Australia's batting line-up for the first of five matches against England, starting on Thursday.

Despite his strong home record, the left-hander played just one of Australia's six Tests in Asia this year, with selectors viewing him as being outside their best XI on the spinning pitches of the subcontinent.

Khawaja has previously expressed his disappointment at being left out for most of the year, but said he wasn't using his recent axing as extra motivation.

"I don't hold it against anyone, I'm not angry at anyone," he said in Brisbane. 

"I'm just going out there to play some cricket.

"Everything is feeling good at the moment. I'm really enjoying my cricket, which is the main thing.

"I'm very happy with where I am and hopefully I can translate it into Test cricket."

Khawaja is arguably in the best form of any Australian batsman heading into the Test summer, apart from uncapped opener Cameron Bancroft, having started the JLT Sheffield Shield season with a century, two fifties and an average of 86 from three matches.

Having tuned up for the Gabba Test with two half-centuries against NSW Blues last week, the Queensland captain spent time with Renshaw over the weekend after the opener was dropped in favour of the in-form Bancroft.

"He came to my place the other day for a few games of pool (and) I towelled him up," Khawaja said before adding with a huge grin on his face: "there’s no mercy at the Khawaja house."

The Bulls captain says he’s in no doubt the 21-year-old Renshaw will be back in the Baggy Green in the near future.

"He’s one of those kids – it’s one of his greatest attributes I reckon – as hard as things can get, you always feel like he’s not in a place where he can’t come out of it," he said.

"He’s really headstrong and that’s a good thing. Not in a bad way ... he’s very receptive to feedback. Whenever I talk to him, he always listens.

"But he’s one of those guys you feel can score runs no matter the situation. He’s got that ability to block things out. This is the toughest period he’s had so far.

"The beauty is it’s a learning curve and he’s only 21. I’m positive he’s going to play a lot more Test cricket. Positive."

Renshaw will get another chance to snap his current run drought in Queensland's Shield match against Western Australia in Perth, starting on Friday.

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21