Aussie cricket legend Ricky Ponting has admitted he doesn’t want Usman Khawaja to make a similar mistake he did and play past his best after the opener claimed he isn’t ready to retire just yet. Khawaja recently opened up on his Test future in the Australian team after calls the 38-year-old could be fighting for his position heading into the Ashes.

Khawaja has struggled for runs across the last 18 months and it didn’t get any better against India in Australia’s 3-1 series victory. Despite Jasprit Bumrah producing one of the all-time great performances with the red-ball, Khawaja struggled for runs having scored 184 runs at an average of 20.44 across the 2024/25 season.

The opener wants to stay around for the Ashes next summer, but will be turning 39 years old in the series. His form prompted the likes of former captain Michael Clarke to call for a change at the top of the order ahead of the Ashes so Australian can blood a youngster to gain experience at international level.

Although Khawaja reiterated his desire to stay in the role on Monday and said if he is performing he will continue to play. Selectors appear keen to allow Khawaja time with the veteran seeking runs against Sri Lanka with the series set to start on Wednesday.

He will then have the Test Championship final against South Africa to prove he is the right man to open against England. And speaking on SEN Radio about Khawaja’s future, Ponting admitted he wants the veteran to find his form again ahead of the Ashes.

But Australia’s all-time leading run scorer drew some comparisons to his own career and admitted he stayed around too long before calling time. And Ponting warned Khawaja he must understand when it is time to step aside for the younger generation and give someone else a go.

“I have got no doubt he still has more to give, I think he is looking towards the Ashes next year, I can’t see him going much further than that,” Ponting said. “But at the end of the day it is all down to how well he plays…if he just a little bit off, it happens with everyone.”

“I am the person that can put my hand up and say I played a couple of years longer than I should. For all the wrong reasons, personally, but I hung around to try and do what I could for the young blokes who were coming through in the Australian team. With Usman, he struggled in the summer. It wasn’t until the second innings of the last Test…that he started to look like his old self again.

“I think he would have learnt something from that. That’s the way he has to play. I don’t want to see the end of anyone…but we all know when you get to that age the game doesn’t get easier.”

Ricky Ponting backs Sam Konstas role

In the meantime, Ian Healy agreed with Ponting and claimed Sam Konstas deserves a chance to retain his opening position alongside Khawaja on the Sri Lanka tour. Selectors are reportedly tossing up on whether to promote Travis Head to the opening role and drop Konstas. But Ponting has backed the Aussie selectors to stick with Konstas so he can develop his game away from home.

“I think it will be a great tour for him as well to get away from the buzz he has in Australia. Get away from it all and learn what it is like to be an international cricketer on the road in really tough, challenging foreign conditions,” Ponting added.

Ponting also suggested Cooper Connelly could be a chance to get a match in Sri Lanka with Australia needing to look ahead and blood future talent. “Let’s see what they do. Someone like Cooper Connelly could find himself in the side…this would be a breath of fresh air as far as blooding youngsters for the future goes,” Ponting added.

Michael Clarke in huge call amid Usman Khawaja’s struggles

Khawaja did admit he would go if he was tapped on the shoulder due to his form, but declared he has no intention of retiring. This is despite Clarke claiming before the fifth Test against India that Khawaja should step aside and usher in some younger players.

“This is Uzzie’s home Test match, the SCG,” Clarke said on the ‘Beyond 23’ podcast. “He has been an amazing player, absolutely amazing player. Come back in, score runs overseas, score runs in Australia. He is 38 years of age, I think it could be a great opportunity for Uzzie to announce his retirement, and Sydney to be his last Test.

“I know he would like to keep playing. His form has not been as good as he would like throughout this series. I know we have got a trip to Sri Lanka, and then we have got the Ashes. There is a lot of cricket in between, but I also think that could be a great opportunity for a new player to come in, open the batting, get some Test match cricket under their belt before the first Ashes Test match.” Regardless of Clarke’s comments, Khawaja clearly has his sight set on one more Ashes series.