Khawaja is a superstar in Australia.
I am by no means Steve Waugh's biggest fan, but this is plain wrong. He was averaging in the 30s before we went to England in 1989, three years into his career. He was also averaging nearly two wickets per Test at that point, so was a genuine all-rounder. Picking and sticking with him from the age of 20, at the lowest ebb Australian cricket has maybe ever seen, was ballsy and ultimately proved inspired and 100% correct.
He played 20 'series' in his first eight years and you're right, averaged less than 30 in 11 of them. But five of those 'series' were one-off Tests. So, not series at all. By definition. Four of those five one-offs he averaged less than 30. Take them out, as they're not series, and you have 7 of 15 series in which he averaged under 30. Two of those were his first two series, at the age of 20. Another was the disastrous 1988 tour of Pakistan, when Border and Darsh's old man were the only members of Australia's top 7 to average more than 22 (Boon 19.50, Waugh 18.40, Jones 8.80, Wood 21.75, Healy 18.75). One of Waugh or Jones would have been dropped for Jamie Siddons in that series, had Siddons not been struck down with illness.
Prior to that Pakistan series, Waugh's results were on the up. He averaged 59 in India in 1986, 44 in the 86/87 Ashes debacle, and 36 against NZ in 87/88. Immediately following the Pakistan tour he had a great home series (average of 41, plus took 10 wickets) against the still-mighty Windies, with brilliant, brave, back-to-back 90s in Brisbane and Perth back when those pitches were nightmares to face the likes of Ambrose, Marshall, Patterson and Walsh. Then came the 1989 domination.
He could have been dropped in the 1989/90 home series against Pakistan, although I doubt anyone else would have fared much better against the unplayable genius that was Wasim Akram that season. He was dropped a year later, was probably a touch lucky to get back in 12 months after that, but the selectors knew their man and they were right. Despite a 100 in Sydney, he had a poor 92/93 series against the Windies, but it was at the unsuited No.3 spot he at least had the balls to put his hand up for (not unselfishly, because he knew that was his only way back into the side). He dominated from 1993 onward and goes down as an all-time great of the game. He's one for the 'got it right' book.