Australia's veteran batter Usman Khawaja will miss the birth of his second child, as it coincides with the tour of Pakistan. The left-hander lauded his wife for her understanding and support as he looks to build on a promising return to Test cricket.Cricket Australia's 18-man Test squad for the three-Test series in Pakistan includes Usman Khawaja as one of the specialist batters. It will be the first time since 1998 that Australia will tour the sub-continent, after the visitors were apparently content with the security measures in place.cricket.com.au@cricketcomauSpeaking ahead of the upcoming tour of Pakistan, Usman Khawaja says it will be "special" to play in the country he was born in.4:00 AM · Feb 8, 202248049Speaking ahead of the upcoming tour of Pakistan, Usman Khawaja says it will be "special" to play in the country he was born in. https://t.co/FBnDmXsRTJIn a video uploaded by Cricket Australia, the veteran said that his wife knows cricket is a priority for him, and je is excited to play in the country of his birth. The 35-year old said in this regard:"She’s very understanding; she knows I love playing cricket; it’s very important to me; she’s very supportive of that, and she knows I try to support her any way I can. It’s going to take me a lot to come back; it is Test cricket for Australia.""I’m sort of not thinking about it because I don’t want it to happen, but ask me if it does happen. I've still got a lot of family in Karachi. I was obviously born there, so it'll be nice, special moment to go over there and tick the last part of the subcontinent off. I think it will be great for Australian cricket too."Australia had a successful tour of Pakistan in 1998, winning both the Test and ODI series convincingly. However, it will be a stern challenge for them in the sub-continent, having not played in the region since 2017."I certainly think David Warner and Khawaja would most likely start as the openers in Pakistan" - George BaileyGeorge Bailey. (Image Credits: Getty)Meanwhile, Australian selector George Bailey has nearly confirmed Australia's openers as David Warner and Usman Khawaja for the series. The former Australian captain said that with a handful of sub-continent tours to follow, Marcus Harris would travel as a reserve opener."I certainly think David Warner and Khawaja would most likely start as the openers in Pakistan. But we're also aware – not that age is a be-all and end-all barrier – that both Uz and Bull are around 35. We've got a lot of subcontinent cricket coming up over the next 12-18 months, so it's important to keep focusing on a bit of a succession plan and developing Harry's skills. He's the spare opener there," Bailey said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.cricket.com.au@cricketcomauA full-strength Test side is heading to Pakistan! #PAKvAUS Full details: cricketa.us/3oyov9z3:05 AM · Feb 8, 20222465206A full-strength Test side is heading to Pakistan! #PAKvAUS Full details: cricketa.us/3oyov9z https://t.co/gZIEdwlDOwThe tour kickstarts with the first Test in Rawalpindi on March 4.