The Queensland quick is the current leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield
Steketee is among a host of fast bowlers fighting for advantage in the pecking order behind Australia’s Test trio Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
Although Queensland went down in the Sheffield Shield to Western Australia by seven wickets on Saturday at the Gabba, Steketee again performed strongly with 4 for 74 and 2 for 21.
“[He] has been around the Aussie thinking [and] the next fast bowling crop for a while now,” Khawaja told reporters. “This year, the way he’s been bowling is as good as I’ve seen him bowl. He’s got gears too, you can tell he’s experienced now. He can read the conditions.
“When he was younger he just used to try and bowl 100 percent. He’s got the skills and the gears now to take it back a bit and then ramp it up, much like Dale Steyn used to and learnt throughout his career.”
Australia is expected to soon name an extended Ashes squad, with an intrasquad practice game early next month looming as a key shootout ahead of the first Test against England on December 8.
Richardson, who has two Tests to his name, starred against the Bulls with 3 for 38 and 5 for 23 and hit a valuable 35 with the bat. Neser picked up a hamstring injury in his side’s loss but is expected to be fit by the start of the Ashes. National selectors could opt for a rotation policy with the five-Test series being squeezed into six weeks.
Khawaja, himself in top touch with the bat and pushing for a return to the Test side, indicated Steketee should be at the top of the pack.
“He’s bowling beautifully right now. He’s been the pick of our bowlers all season,” he said. “The bounce and the kiss he’s getting off the wicket, we feel in the game every ball.”