In an emotional press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground, veteran Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja announced his retirement from international cricket, using the moment to speak candidly about his identity, experiences with Islamophobia and his views on Palestine.
Khawaja, 39, who will play his final match in the fifth Ashes Test, reflected on a 15‑year career that broke barriers. Born in Pakistan and raised in Australia from age five, he became the first Muslim and Pakistan‑born player to represent Australia at the highest level. During his speech, with family present, he said: “I’m a proud Muslim, coloured boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team. Look at me now.”
“When I was younger, people asked me where I’m from, and I was too embarrassed to say Pakistan because we were curry munchers, so I’d say Saudi Arabia,” Khawaja recalled.
“I don’t believe that Israel speaks up for Jewish people, just as I don’t believe that Saudi Arabia or ISIS speaks for Muslim people,” Khawaja said. “I’m not going to let a right-wing extremist political organisation speak for a religion. That’s not right. They don’t speak for me. It does frustrate me when I do see certain things and certain people try to mix those two.”
Despite the challenges, Khawaja expressed gratitude for his experiences and the support he received, saying he hoped his story would inspire young players from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams.
Khawaja’s farewell at the SCG, where his Test career began in 2011, closes a remarkable chapter in Australian cricket and highlights broader conversations about inclusion, representation, and equality in sport.
'They Told Me I'd Never Play...': Usman Khawaja Announces Retirement, Slams Critics & Former Players Over Treatment
Veteran Australian batter Usman Khawaja has confirmed he will retire from international cricket following the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, ending a distinguished 15-year career that made him one of Australia’s most respected batsmen. The 39-year-old, who has played 87 Test matches and scored more than 6,200 runs with 16 centuries, used his retirement announcement not just to reflect on his time in the Baggy Green, but also to call out the way he was treated by some former players and sections of the media.
Speaking at a press conference in Sydney, Khawaja expressed deep disappointment that commentary from past cricketers and pundits often crossed the line into personal criticism, especially over his preparation and fitness. He recounted how, after suffering back spasms before the first Ashes Test in Perth, former players and pundits focused less on his performance and more on his character and commitment, levelling accusations that he was selfish or insufficiently committed to the team. “I'm a proud Muslim coloured boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team. Look at me now, and you can do the same,” he said.
Khawaja went further to highlight that some of the attack lines echoed racial stereotypes he has encountered throughout his life and career. He noted that claims he was lazy or didn’t train hard enough were familiar tropes he had worked against since childhood, and that he had expected the sport to have moved beyond such narratives.
As Khawaja prepares to take to the field one last time, his retirement marks the close of a notable chapter in Australian cricket, one that blended top-class performance with a candid call for greater understanding and respect in how players of all backgrounds are discussed by commentators and former stars alike.
