Usman Khawaja is happy to open the batting in the first Test and Australian coach Darren Lehmann has no doubt the batsman could handle the responsibility if recalled.
Chairman of selectors Rod Marsh will reveal Australia's Test squad next Friday ahead of their three-Test series opener against South Africa, which starts in Perth the following Thursday.
More Sport Videos
- Video duration
- 01:29
Plays of the Week
- Video duration
- 01:22
Perth Spirit claim National Rugby Championship
- Video duration
- 01:29
Rojas gives Victory win in injury time
- Video duration
- 00:57
Cheika says NZ lack respect
- Video duration
- 01:25
NZ defeat Wallabies, break record
- Video duration
- 01:25
Brisbane sneak win over Mariners
- Video duration
- 00:50
Australia's controversial no-try
- Video duration
- 01:26
Winx races into history books
Plays of the Week
Brutal demolitions, stunning strikes and Aussie world champions, these are the most exciting plays in the sport world this week.
Khawaja is expected to be called up after he was dropped during the tour of Sri Lanka in August.
The left-hander has batted at first drop in the majority of his 29 Test innings, including a purple patch last summer that featured tons at the Gabba, WACA Ground and MCG.
But Khawaja could potentially be promoted to open alongside David Warner if selectors overlook Joe Burns, and Shaun Marsh is unavailable because of a hamstring injury.
"You can look at him as a one, two or three," Lehmann said of Khawaja, who has opened for Australia at ODI and Twenty20 level.
"It depends on the make up of the side.
"The captain will decide where the batting order lies and we'll just give him the side.
"Usman is one of those guys can bat one, two, three or four, five or six ... so that's an advantage with him.
"It really depends on how the other players shape up with the (Sheffield) Shield round."
Khawaja suggested it wouldn't impact on his approach if he were asked to open against the Proteas.
"No, not at all," the 29-year-old said.
Khawaja is yet to speak with Marsh regarding where he sits in selectors' plans, insisting he is only focused on captaining Queensland in Sunday's one-day cup final.
"I am planning everything as it's going as if I'm playing that first Test," Khawaja said.
"And if I don't, I'll reassess then."
Khawaja hasn't had much time in the middle since he was dumped after the second Test of a 3-0 series loss in Sri Lanka.
Khawaja was on drinks duty during Australia's recent one-day tour of South Africa, with the exception of an unbeaten 82 he scored against Ireland.
"I felt like I was seeing the ball well all throughout South Africa and still feel like I'm seeing the ball well," he said.
"Even in Sri Lanka where I didn't score a lot of runs, I didn't feel horrible.
"There's no reason why I shouldn't score runs every time I go out to bat, but you can't get too far ahead of yourself."
Crowded schedule
Khawaja has aired concerns about a helter-skelter schedule that features a single day off between the one-day cup final and the Sheffield Shield opener.
After Sunday's one-day decider at North Sydney Oval Khawaja will don the whites on Tuesday, when the Bulls face NSW at the Gabba.
The MCG and WACA will also host day-night Shield games next week. The pink-ball matches represent the only chance for Australia's stars to have a first-class hit or bowl before the first Test against South Africa starts in Perth on November 3.
"It would have been nicer for Matador Cup or the Shield game (dates to be different) - or however they did it for us to get a couple of Shield games in before the Test series," Khawaja said.
"One is nice but two is even better."
Steve Smith, David Warner and Khawaja would have been unavailable for a hypothetical Shield game earlier this month as they were in South Africa for a one-day series.
"I'm not convinced about the timing (of that one-day tour) ... it was a random time," Khawaja said. "I found it really bizarre that we played that one-day series before a big Test series.
"That's how international cricket is going these days. There is no break."
Cricket Australia high-performance guru Pat Howard admitted that in an ideal world the Test squad would play two Shield games to prepare for the Proteas.
"The schedule is the greatest complexity in the game and it remains a challenge," Howard said.
Khawaja suggested it was important he and other players "get on with it".
AAP