Ricky Ponting believes it will be "difficult" for Usman Khawaja to force his way back into the Australia Test side.
Khawaja was a notable absentee when Cricket Australia announced its list of centrally contracted players last month.
The 33-year-old batsman has not played for his country since the drawn Ashes series in England last year and Marnus Labuschagne has looked very much at home at number three.
Former Australia captain Ponting thinks we may have seen the last of Khawaja in the longest format, despite the left-hander saying he believes he is among the top six batsmen in the country.
Ponting told ABC Grandstand: "I honestly think now he's going to find it difficult [to regain his place] and I feel for him.
"I love Usman Khawaja, I got really close to him over the last 10 years since he made his debut and I talk to him quite regularly.
"I've always felt he's a very good player and we probably never saw the absolute best of him at international cricket.
"We saw glimpses of it, and dribs and drabs, but not the consistently good player I thought he could have been for Australia."
