Sydney: Usman Khawaja announced Friday that he will retire from international cricket following the conclusion of the fifth Ashes Test against England, concluding a 15-year career defined by his status as Australia’s first Muslim Test player and his late-career outspokenness against racial prejudice.

The 39-year-old opening batter is expected to make his 88th and final appearance for Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting Sunday, the same venue where he made his debut against England in 2011. The announcement ends months of public debate regarding his future on the national side.

“The number one emotion is contentment. I'm very lucky to have played so many games for Australia the way I have,” Khawaja said during a press conference. “I hope I have inspired people along the way.”

Born in Islamabad, Pakistan, Khawaja moved to Australia as a child and overcame significant barriers to become the first Pakistan-born player to represent the country. At one point, he was the only player of Asian heritage in Australian first-class cricket.

“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 added.

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg praised Khawaja's impact both on and off the pitch, highlighting his "outstanding achievements as one of our most stylish and resilient batters" and his work through the Usman Khawaja Foundation, which supports youths from refugee, immigrant, and Indigenous backgrounds.

'Racial Stereotyping'

Despite his success, Khawaja used his retirement announcement to criticise the treatment he received during the current Ashes series. After suffering back spasms during the first Test in Perth, Khawaja was sidelined and faced intense scrutiny from former players and the media.

He expressed frustration at being labelled as "lazy" or "not committed" while recovering from an injury he could not control.

“The way the media and past players came out and attacked me... it went on for five days,” Khawaja said. “The way everyone came out at me about my preparation... ‘He’s selfish, he didn’t train hard enough. He’s lazy.’ These are the same racial stereotypes (I thought we had moved past).”

He noted that he had not seen other teammates subjected to similar character attacks for "uncontrollable" injuries. “Obviously, we haven't fully moved past that. I haven't seen anyone treated like that in the Australian cricket team before.”

Career Statistics

A qualified commercial pilot, Khawaja finishes his Test career with 6,206 runs at an average of 43.39, including 16 centuries. His career-high score of 232 came against Sri Lanka in early 2025.

The veteran’s final series has been a difficult one. After losing his opening spot to Travis Head following the Perth injury, Khawaja was only recalled for the third Test in Adelaide as a late replacement for an ill Steve Smith. He made scores of 82 and 40 in that match, but recorded a duck in the following Test at Melbourne.

Khawaja admitted the uncertainty of the current summer signalled the end was near. “Going into Adelaide and then not being picked initially for that game was probably a sign for me to say ‘all right, it’s time to move on’,” he said.

In addition to his Test career, Khawaja represented Australia in 40 one-day internationals and nine Twenty20 matches.

With inputs from AFP