'That was unfair' - Smith supports Khawaja on Perth preparation criticism

Steven Smith has recalled playing against Usman Khawaja in age-group cricket and knowing then itself how good a player he would become, as he praised a "wonderful career" ahead of Khawaja's final Test, in the Ashes finale at the SCG.

Khawaja's retirement marks the start of a transition in an ageing Australia Test team, although there are no immediate signs of further players downing tools. Smith gave a strong indication that he saw a role in helping take the side through an intense period from later this year, which will include up to 21 Tests in 11 months, including the run to the next World Test Championship (WTC) final before the 2027 Ashes in England.

Smith and Khawaja came through the New South Wales pathways and Khawaja's first Test against England in early 2011 was the fifth of Smith's career after he had debuted a few months earlier against Pakistan.

"I remember playing against him in a couple of Under-17 versus Under-19 games for New South Wales and watching him bat," Smith said. "The way he pulled the ball, I was like, this guy picks length up quicker than anyone I've seen. He was pulling balls off the top of the stumps. I feel like throughout his career, he's been batting his best when he's been doing that as well. And just his progression over a long period of time has been outstanding."

Khawaja has often referred to himself as one of the most dropped cricketers, referencing the seven times he lost his place in the side prior to 2019, but Smith felt the omissions on the subcontinent under his captaincy, which always rankled with Khawaja, helped make him the player he would become against spin.

Prior to his magnificent performance against Pakistan in Dubai in 2018, Khawaja averaged 14.62 from five Tests in Asia. From that point on, he made 1490 runs at 82.77 in 13 outings.

"He hates it, but we dropped him," Smith said. "I was captain at that stage and we dropped him in the subcontinent. We didn't think he was playing the spinners as well as he does now. But he got that opportunity to go back and figure out ways to play. Whether he would have done that had he kept playing, I'm not sure. But he went back and found some different methods to defend spin. He was reversing, sweeping, and that's a mode of defence in a way when you put the field out.

"He's arguably one of our best players of spin now. So maybe [it was] a blessing in disguise. But the way he's been able to play over his 15-year career… it's a credit to him and not too many people get to go out on their own terms."

Smith would not be drawn on Khawaja's comments during his lengthy retirement press conference on Friday about being treated differently in Australian cricket and racial stereotyping, but said commentary about his preparation for the first Test in Perth where he suffered back spasms had been "unfair".

"I'm not going into the mind of Usman Khawaja. He's had a great career," Smith said. "In terms of preparation, I think he's always prepared the same way. He's worked hard. Some of the stuff around him getting injured when he played golf the day before the game, that was unfair.

"I think he's done that for 15 years and had a pretty good career. On an odd occasion where he prepared the same way he got injured, it's pretty unfair to single that out. To the rest of it, I can't really say too much on that, that's Usman's views."

For Smith himself, he said there was "no real end date" in mind, which has been his regular response to the question this season, but he did acknowledge the need to stagger the changing of the guard.

"I think with Usman dropping off now as one of our experienced players, it probably wouldn't be ideal if him and I went out this week, for instance," he said. "So, no, I want to keep playing and don't read into that too much. I'm still playing. I'm enjoying it.

"I think ultimately you probably want a group of players that you can get to and have playing in that cycle to get to the World Test Championship final, but that's a question for the coach and selectors as well."

Smith has captained four out of the five Ashes Tests in the absence of Pat Cummins and said he was relaxed about doing it again if required, or whether the selectors wanted to hand it to someone younger.

He added the game had been "fun" in recent times with the team enjoying consistent success. They are now well placed for another WTC final, although a victory in Sydney would be handy after dropping points in Melbourne with tough away trips to South Africa and India to come.

"I think we've got a really good team," he said. "The team we've had over the last three or four years, obviously making two World Test Championship finals, different people have stood up at different times. It's never been one or two people just getting the job done. It's been shared across and guys have done great jobs throughout and I think that's what's made us a really good team.

"So, it's been good to be a part of and as an older player now, hopefully I can help some of the players coming through and help teach them the game of Test cricket."