Usman Khawaja feels the environment in the Australian team’s dressing room is the best he’s ever experienced.

The Pakistani-born No 3 batsman made his Test debut for the Baggy Greens in 2011, and since then, he’s found himself in and out of the side due to fitness and form. His current run of 11 straight Test appearances is the best he’s enjoyed.

‘I probably feel a bit more comfortable now in this team than I did when I first came back a few years ago,’ Khawaja said in an interview with Melbourne radio station SEN as the Australia players took a short break in Cape Town before training resumes next week.

‘I don’t go out of my way and try to speak up for any reason, but if I think there needs to be something said, I say it,’ Khawaja said.

‘I’ve got a pretty good relationship with Smudge [captain Steve Smith] and with Davey [Warner, Smith’s deputy] too, which always makes it better.

‘But I think we have a lot of good players and a lot of leaders in this team, and a lot of captains from other states. Mitch Marsh is also captain now of Western Australia, so it’s nice to have guys around actually thinking about it [leadership] while we are playing.

‘The guys get along really well in this team.

‘The fact that we have all grown up playing with each other, the majority… of us grew up in New South Wales.

‘We have all grown up playing together, so there is no sort of older player/younger player [divide] at the moment.

‘There are no egos going around, just all the boys having a good time and playing hard cricket, which makes it a lot easier and makes it a good feel and vibe at the moment.’

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