Former Australian captain Tim Paine has spoken out in support of Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, who are facing criticism after a poor showing in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. He insisted that these top-order batters shouldn’t be dropped because of one disappointing match and believes they will bounce back strongly during the upcoming West Indies tour, which begins on June 25.
Struggles in the WTC Final
Australia suffered a heavy loss to South Africa in the WTC final at Lord’s, with Khawaja scoring 0 and 6, and Labuschagne managing 17 and 20. The team had reshuffled its top order — Labuschagne opened, Cameron Green came in at number three, and Steve Smith batted at four. This new combination failed, prompting debates over team selection ahead of the three-Test series against West Indies. Meanwhile, young opener Sam Konstas impressed with a stunning debut half-century against India and is now being considered for the squad.
Looking at the Stats
While Khawaja had a rare failure in the final, he had otherwise performed well throughout the WTC 2023-25 cycle, scoring 1,428 runs in 20 matches. His record includes two centuries and six fifties, making him the top scorer for Australia in that period. On the other hand, Labuschagne’s form has been inconsistent. He made 974 runs in 20 matches, with just one century and eight fifties, averaging 27.82, a drop that pulled his overall Test average down to 46.19. At 38, Khawaja’s age has also become a point of concern, especially with him turning 39 during the upcoming home Ashes series in December.
Paine Says Australia Must Be Patient
Despite these numbers, Paine remains confident in both players. He told SEN, “They are good players, they are world class.” He acknowledged that Steve Smith’s injury will keep him out of the first Test against the West Indies, opening the door for Konstas to step in while Labuschagne moves back down the order. Paine added, “We have heard them say that when they have the spin pitches, Travis Head would slide up and Marnus down.”
Eyes on the Ashes
Paine is optimistic about the future, stating, “I see them going to the Windies and playing well and getting ready for a huge Ashes series. Usman and Marnus will play really, really important roles in the Ashes.” He criticized how quickly Australia tends to discard players, noting, “We are very quick in this country to move on players, we always want to see if the grass is greener.”
Great Players Are Not Easily Replaced
To highlight his point, Paine mentioned David Warner, saying, “Look at Dave Warner – one of our best cricketers – six months before he retired, people said he has got to go (and now) two years down the track, we still have not replaced him.” He warned against making rash decisions: “You do not just have a bad Test in England and dump people like Uz and Marnus. They are a huge part of the team for the next year at least. With England coming out here, these high-quality players don’t grow on trees. Great players are hard to replace.”