Australia batter Usman Khawaja said he is still battling “racial stereotypes” as he announced his retirement from international cricket.

The 39-year-old will play his 88th Test in the Ashes finale against England starting on Sunday (23:30 GMT, Saturday) in Sydney, on the ground where he made his debut against the same opponents in 2011.

Khawaja was born in Pakistan and became the first Muslim to play for Australia when he took the place of Ricky Ponting at the end of England’s 3-1 series win 15 years ago.

“I’m a proud Muslim, coloured boy from Pakistan who was told he would never play for the Australian cricket team,” he said. “Look at me now.”

The left-hander made his announcement at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday in an emotional 50-minute news conference attended by his wife, two daughters and parents.

Referring to the beginning of this series, when he played golf the day before the first Test and subsequently suffered back spasms in Perth, Khawaja said he was criticised because he is “treated differently”.

“The way the media and the past players came out and attacked me - I could have copped it for two days, but I copped it for about five days straight,” he said.

“The way everyone came at me about my preparation was quite personal in terms of ‘he’s not committed to the team’, ‘he was only worried about himself’, ‘he played this golf comp the day before’, ‘he’s selfish’, ‘he doesn’t train hard enough’, ‘he didn’t train the day before game’, ‘he’s lazy’.

“These are the same stereotypes - racial stereotypes - I’ve grown up with my whole life.

“I just thought the media and old players and everyone else had moved past them, but we obviously haven’t.”

‘I need to talk about it right here and right now’

In the same seven-minute answer to one question, Khawaja said: “I can give you a countless number of guys who have played golf the day before and been injured and you guys haven’t said a thing.

“I can give you even more guys who have had 15 beers the night before, then got injured, and no-one’s said a word. That’s alright, they’re just being Aussie larrikins - just being lads.

“When I get injured, everyone went at my credibility and who I am as a person. Normally when someone gets injured, you feel sorry for them as a person. ‘Poor Josh Hazlewood or poor Nathan Lyon - they have got injured.’

“That was the thing I was most sad about and that is what I’ve been dealing with for a long time. I don’t talk about it a lot, but I felt like I need to talk about it right here and right now.”

Khawaja’s family moved from Pakistan to Australia when he was five. In 2020 he said he felt his background had led him to being stereotyped as “lazy”.

In 2023 he was charged by the International Cricket Council for wearing a black armband in Australia’s first Test against Pakistan as a show of support for the people of Gaza.

Speaking on Thursday, Khawaja said: “I call myself the people’s champ, not because I think everyone loves me but because I speak about things for the people that other people don’t want to speak about.

“I know why I get nailed a lot of the time. I understand that I’ve talked about certain issues outside of cricket, which leaves me exposed and a lot of people don’t like.

“I know I’m here talking about topics and people will say ‘Uzzie’s here, he’s playing the race card again’. Don’t gaslight me. This stuff happens all the time - we see it and we just don’t talk about it.

“I didn’t want to talk about this, but I just want the journey for the next Usman Khawaja to be different.

“I want him or her to be treated all the same - not have racial stereotypes over who they might be.”

‘I get it - my name isn’t John Smith’

Khawaja has played in six Ashes series - winning two, losing two and drawing two. He was also part of the Australia team that won the World Test Championship in 2023.

He needs 30 runs in his final Test to go above Mike Hussey and into 14th on Australia’s all-time run-scorers list, behind the great Donald Bradman in 13th.

Khawaja played the last of his 40 one-day internationals in 2019, having scored 1,554 runs at 42. He played nine T20 internationals, scoring 241 runs at 26.77.

Now playing domestically for Queensland, Khawaja will end his international career on the ground that was his home when he first played professional cricket for New South Wales in 2008. He intends to continue playing domestic cricket.

Often in and out of the Australia team during his Test career, he found a home at the top of the order during the previous home Ashes in 2021-22.

During the Perth Test Travis Head was moved up to open in place of Khawaja in the second innings. Head made a swashbuckling century to lead Australia to an eight-wicket win.

Khawaja missed the second Test with the back problem and was due to be left out of the third, only to receive a late call-up when Steve Smith fell ill.

Khawaja made 82 and 40 in Adelaide to retain his place for the fourth Test.

After the Ashes Australia do not play another Test until August.

“At the age of 25 I tried so hard to fit into the Australian cricket team. I was trying to dress like all the boys; I was going out to the clubs even though I didn’t drink,” said Khawaja.

“I tried all that and it didn’t get work. I’d still get dropped from the Australian cricket team.

“I get it - my name isn’t John Smith. When the 50-50 calls happen they’re just not going my way. Why am I trying to be like everybody else?

“I’m hoping the journey for the next Usman Khawaja is a bit easier and we get to a line, however many generations, where that Usman Khawaja is the same as John Smith. That’s what I’ve been trying to champion the whole time.

“We’re a lot better and inclusive society than we’ve been before, but there’s still a way to go because Australian cricket is still very white in a lot of respects.

“It might take time, but as long as you’re working towards it you can’t do more than that.”

Source: BBC 
--Agencies