Usman Khawaja: The pilot who blazed a trail for diversity in Australian cricket

Usman Khawaja walked into the sunset after the Sydney Test against England, and with it, brought an end to a 15-year-long storied career for the Australian team.

Khawaja's life and career have not been like any other cricketer's. It is a unique story of resilience, determination, grit, and uprightness. If there is one line that truly sums it all up, it is the one he stated in his retirement press conference -

"I am 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."

What is conspicuous from the above is that Khawaja achieved something unprecedented. The 39-year-old is the first Muslim and first Pakistan-born player to represent Australia. Add to it the fact that there were only six foreign-born cricketers who played for the national team in the last 80 years, and surely the pessimism around Khawaja's chances of selection was justified.

But what is most striking and significant from his statement is the last line. It truly reflects the mindset of the person - hardworking, tenacious, persevering, assertive, and unyielding. One can presume these qualities have held Khawaja in good stead, at least in his professional and public lives. 

Early Life

Usman was born in Islamabad in 1986 to parents Tariq and Fozia. When he was almost five the family moved to Sydney. Interestingly, the Khawaja residence, a modest two-bedroom apartment, was close to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Usman and his elder brothers were very much into cricket. The brothers used to go to Centennial Park, which was across the road from where they lived, to play cricket. The siblings would also head to the SCG on ODI match days and stand outside, waiting for the gates to open after the match. It was a chance for them to enter for free and step onto the hallowed SCG turf.

The 1990s Australia was very different from what it is presently. The number of immigrants was far less, and some of them faced racial slurs hurled at them frequently. Khawaja admitted to experiencing the same.

Usman once shared that he faced racial abuse at school from fellow pupils. He was called a "F***** curry muncher," which was a popular swear word back then for people of South Asian heritage. One day, he was beaten up after school by some students for no reason at all. But these incidents did not faze him. On the contrary, Khawaja revealed that being racially vilified actually strengthened his resolve to fight prejudices.

Cricketing Career

Before one sheds light on Khawaja's illustrious career, it is noteworthy to know that he is a qualified commercial pilot license holder after earning a Bachelor of Aviation from the University of New South Wales. In fact, he obtained it even before he had a driving license and much before playing Test cricket for Australia. But he chose to drive through the covers on a cricket field rather than pilot an aircraft around the world.

Usman played club cricket for Valley District Cricket Club in Brisbane after moving from New South Wales to Queensland. The southpaw honed his skills and moved back to New South Wales, making his first-class debut for them in 2008. The batter impressed with an 85-run knock against Victoria in his very first innings, suggesting he was no ordinary talent.

For Khawaja to make his historic Test debut, it took an injury to then captain Ricky Ponting in the 2010/11 Ashes. The left-hander took Ponting's position of number 3 for the fifth Test in Sydney and had a decent outing, scoring 37 and 21 across both innings.

Khawaja's Test career was a tale of two halves - the first half involved a period from 2011 to 2019 when he was a part of the team on numerous occasions, but was dropped on several instances. Importantly, he did not deliver commensurate to his potential.

The other half included the period from 2022 to 2026, when he exceeded all expectations, scored runs prolifically, and had a much bigger impact.

Some of his notable innings involved his maiden Test century (174) against New Zealand in 2015 at the Gabba, which became his home ground after he moved back to Queensland in 2012. The knock helped Australia win comfortably by 208 runs.

Another standout performance from the first half of his career came against Pakistan in Dubai in 2018. The southpaw had already made 85 in the first innings of the first Test, and his team was made to chase 462 with around a day and a half left. Khawaja batted for 8 hours and 42 minutes for his 141 off 302 balls, guiding Australia to a famous draw.

Being dropped after 2019 and not selected for more than two years, Khawaja's Test career seemed done and dusted. But destiny had a different plan for him. At age 35 in 2022, the Queensland batter received another chance to wear the Baggy Green as Travis Head had contracted Covid-19 during the 2021-22 Ashes.

The next chapter in Khawaja's Test career began against the same opposition at the same ground - his beloved SCG - but this time in a thumping fashion. Usman made a brilliant comeback, scoring 137 and 101* in the two innings, almost helping the Aussies come out victors (the match was drawn).

Sticking to the Ashes, the southpaw made another impactful, match-winning century at Edgbaston in 2023. His 141 and 65 in the match contributed to a famous win for the team in recent times and gave the side a 1-0 lead in the series.

Khawaja, a master of playing marathon innings, brought out one more from his bag in Galle in 2025. His prowess against spin was well-documented by now, and he took it to the next level with his maiden double hundred (232 off 352) against Sri Lanka.

At 39, Khawaja looked as good as any contemporary player. Despite having back issues in the first Ashes Test in Perth in late November 2025, which led to him missing the second Test in Brisbane, Khawaja's batting potential was never in doubt. In fact, he made his return in the third Test in Adelaide with an 82 and 40.

But the left-hander, probably given his age and uncertainty over future selections, decided to retire at the SCG and informed head coach Andrew McDonald of his decision after the MCG Test. Though it was not a fairytale ending for him personally with scores of 17 and 6, it was a satisfactory one from the team's point of view as the Aussies won the series with a 4-1 margin.

Activist or Reformer?

One cannot talk about Khawaja without thinking of him as a champion of anti-racism. Throughout his career - but more so in the second half - he was vocal and forthright about matters relating to racial discrimination and humanitarian causes.

In 2020, Khawaja joined a Cricket Australia working group that was tasked with creating an action plan for improving cultural diversity and inclusivity levels within the Australian system.

When it comes to taking stands publicly, the 39-year-old never shied away. During the Perth Test against Pakistan in 2023, Khawaja attempted to wear shoes with the messages "All lives are equal" and "Freedom is a human right" in the colours of the Palestinian flag. But the ICC stepped in and disallowed it, terming the gesture to be "political".

Subsequently, he was reprimanded for wearing a black armband in Perth, which he claimed was for a personal bereavement. Later, he requested permission to use a dove symbol on his bat in the second Test at the MCG, but it was refused as well.

Khawaja did not hold back in criticising the ICC for their alleged double standards. Significantly, he received support from the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in the matter, and former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding, who pointed out that if "Black Lives Matter" logos were allowed, why not Khawaja's expressions?

During his retirement press conference, Khawaja was as incisive as ever, calling out bias in the media. The left-hander had received flak from Australian journalists and former players for playing golf for three days before the first Ashes Test in Perth in 2025, and suffering back spasms during the match.

Khawaja was called "lazy" and "selfish," which, according to him, were racial stereotypes he had received in his career before. On the contrary, he listed out how his teammates were treated differently for several similar incidents.

Cricket, before Khawaja, had probably not seen any player who was so outspoken and resolute when it came to expressing what they stood for. By blazing a trail, he has surely made it easier for up-and-coming cricketers of colour to make it to the Australian senior men's team. In fact, it is what Khawaja himself aspired to achieve.

"....I just want the journey for the next Usman Khawaja to be different. I want you to treat him or her all the same, not have racial stereotypes of who they might be. Treat them with the same cloak that you would treat any of my wholesome other cricketers that I play with," said Khawaja in the same press conference.

Some might call Usman an activist, which also carries a negative connotation in modern times, while some a reformer. While there might not be a consensus on it, there would definitely be on his excellence with the cricket bat in hand.