Australian opening batsman Usman Khawaja has confirmed he will retire from all international cricket following the conclusion of the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The 39-year-old made the emotional announcement at a press conference at the SCG on Friday, bringing an end to a storied 14-year career at the highest level.
A Fitting Finale at a Home Ground
Khawaja revealed that the decision to bow out at the Sydney Cricket Ground holds profound personal significance. It was at this very venue that he made his Test debut for Australia during the 2010-11 Ashes series. Furthermore, the ground is a stone's throw from where he now lives, on Cook Road, making it a poignant full-circle moment.
He shared a childhood memory that fuelled his ambition, recalling seeing former Test opener Michael Slater arrive at the SCG in a red Ferrari. "As a boy, whose parents were barely scraping through... I thought, 'One day, I'm going to be a Test cricketer,'" Khawaja said, highlighting the humble beginnings that shaped his incredible journey.
A Career of Resilience and Record-Breaking Revival
Khawaja's international career spans 87 Test matches, in which he has scored 6,206 runs at an average of 43.39, including 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries to date. His path, however, was not linear. After being dropped from the side, he staged one of the great comebacks in modern cricket history.
Recalled at the age of 35 for the 2022 Sydney Test against England, he seized his opportunity by scoring a century in each innings. This sparked a phenomenal late-career purple patch where he amassed seven hundreds in just two years, cementing his place as a vital pillar of Australia's top order.
His position had come under scrutiny during the current Ashes series after missing the first Test in Perth due to back spasms and being initially omitted in Adelaide. However, an innings of 82 in the first innings of the Adelaide Test secured his spot for the remainder of the series, which Australia lead 3-1.
An Inspiring Legacy Beyond Cricket
In his retirement speech, Khawaja delivered a powerful message of inspiration and belonging. Born in Pakistan and moving to Sydney as a child, he spoke directly to those who have felt like outsiders. "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 stated.
He expressed deep gratitude for the game, his family, and his faith, saying cricket had taught him patience, resilience, and character. "God through cricket has given me far more than I could have imagined," Khawaja reflected. He signs off from the international stage as only the second Australian Test player in the last decade, after David Warner, to retire while still a fixture in the team.
Khawaja's final walk from the field at the SCG will mark the end of an era for a player whose talent and perseverance broke barriers and inspired a generation. He leaves with the simple, peaceful farewell: "salam."
