'I know he will be ready': Usman Khawaja calls for 'mini Uz' to win Ashes opener selection battle

Usman Khawaja has lobbied for Matthew Renshaw, his opening partner in Queensland's Sheffield Shield set-up he calls "mini Uz", to join him at the top of the Australian order in the first Ashes Test.

And Khawaja has made it clear he wants another of his Queensland teammates, the axed Marnus Labuschagne, to reclaim his position at first drop.

Australia's selectors will name the squad for the Perth Test after the third round of the Sheffield Shield, beginning on Tuesday.

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Khawaja has been guaranteed his place at the top of the order, but whether he's joined by Renshaw, Labuschagne, Jake Weatherald or Sam Konstas remains uncertain.

Labuschagne is in contention to either return as an opener or first drop on the back of a blazing run of form for Queensland in both four-day and one-day cricket.

"I know if Renshaw is picked that he is in the best space right now to have a crack at Australia again and be ready to score runs," Khawaja said on Monday when prodded for his view on top-order selection.

"Obviously I am a little bit biased because he is my opening partner and a friend of mine, but he's been there and done it. He has scored 184 for Australia [against Pakistan in the 2017 Sydney Test].

"He has been in and out of the Australian team and it allows you to grow, as I know from experience.

"It allows you to learn from experiences when you get the opportunity again. Whenever Rennie gets his chance ... I know he will be ready.

"He hasn't done himself any harm with the way he has played in the last three matches in the one-dayers. He has taken the pressure on really well and looked the part, which he always does whenever he goes to the next level. You feel like he is one guy that really belongs at the next level."

Labuschagne, batting at first drop, has churned out a tournament-high 337 runs at 112.33 in the Sheffield Shield this season.

Tasmania's Weatherald has carved out 236 runs at 59 in his bid for a Test debut, while Renshaw has racked up 128 runs at 128 as he pushes for a Test recall two years after losing his spot.

Khawaja's incumbent Test opening partner, 20-year-old Konstas, has carried his wretched Caribbean form into his Sheffield Shield campaign with NSW, mustering only 71 runs at 17.75.

The ramp shot served him spectacularly well on Boxing Day against India last summer, even against all-time great Jasprit Bumrah, but in his most recent innings he attempted to ramp paceman Cameron McClure in a One-Day Cup match against Victoria and had his stumps dismantled.

"Queensland ... one, two and three would be great," Khawaja said.

"I think our best line-up has Marnus three, [Steve] Smith four and [Travis] Head five."

Renshaw has played 14 Tests for 645 runs at 29.31.

The UK-born Queenslander admitted last week that he was in the best mental space of his career, which he attributed to no longer obsessing over commentary about his batting.

"It doesn't surprise me that he's deleted the CA [Cricket Australia] app and is not looking at the paper. That is straight out of the Khawaja manual," Khawaja quipped.

"I haven't done it for six years now and I am glad he has gone the same way. I was the same; I was worried about everyone else but then I started worrying about myself and enjoying life for what it is and started playing a lot better.

"He literally copies everything I do," Khawaja added with a grin.

"He wears DSC [cricket clothing], wears Nike shoes and even lives five minutes from my house.

"He's a 'mini Uz'."

Cricket Australia confirmed on Monday that captain Pat Cummins would not feature in the first Test, beginning on November 21, due to his back injury.

Smith will skipper the side in his NSW teammate's absence.