Renshaw labels Khawaja among Australia’s greatest-ever batters ahead of Brisbane Test

Matt Renshaw has hailed Usman Khawaja as one of Australia’s greatest-ever batters, admitting that his Queensland teammate can keep him out of a Test recall.

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Khawaja, who battled back spasms in Perth, faces pressure to revive his career as he approaches his 39th birthday and endures a dip in form. However, Renshaw, coming off a match-winning Sheffield Shield century for Queensland against Victoria, insists Khawaja can still take on England's aggressive pace attack in the Ashes.

"He's got an average over 40 in Test cricket, he's played 85 games, he’s one of our best batters. He's one of the best cricketers that Australia’s ever produced,” Renshaw told reporters at the Australian PGA pro-am at Royal Queensland on Wednesday.

Khawaja had initially been slated to represent Queensland at the pro-am, but lingering back troubles forced his withdrawal and opened the door for Renshaw to step in.

The 38-year-old is now undergoing further assessment in Brisbane after experiencing an unusual bout of spasms that emerged only on day one of the match.

The issue pushed Khawaja down to No.4 in the first innings, and he ultimately wasn't needed during Queensland's remarkable day-two run chase.