Usman Khawaja has announced that he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes Test against England, bringing an end to a 15-year journey that reshaped Australian cricket in more ways than one. The 39-year-old, should he be selected, will play his final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, the very venue where his international career began in 2011, also against England.

The announcement ends months of speculation surrounding Khawaja’s future. His farewell match would mark his 88th Test appearance, closing the chapter on a career defined by resilience, elegance, and significance far beyond numbers. “The number one emotion is contentment,” Khawaja said. “I’m very lucky to have played so many games for Australia the way I have. I hope I have inspired people along the way.”

‘A proud Muslim coloured boy from Pakistan’: Usman Khawaja reflects on his journey

Born in Islamabad, Khawaja immigrated to Australia as a child and went on to become the nation’s first Pakistan-born and first Muslim Test cricketer. At one stage, he was the only Asian player in Australian first-class cricket — a journey he says was often accompanied by prejudice and stereotyping.

“I’m a proud Muslim coloured boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team,” Khawaja said in an emotional address. “Look at me now — and you can do the same.”

Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg hailed Khawaja’s impact both on and off the field. “Usman has made a huge contribution to Australian cricket through his achievements as one of our most stylish and resilient batters, and through the work of the Usman Khawaja Foundation,” Greenberg said, congratulating him on a remarkable career.

Khawaja finishes his Test journey with 6,206 runs, 16 centuries, and an average of 43.39. A qualified pilot off the field, he also made his mark through his foundation, which supports young people from refugee, immigrant, Indigenous, and disadvantaged backgrounds via cricket programs and education initiatives.

The current Ashes series, however, proved to be a turbulent final chapter. After injuring his back in the opening Test in Perth, Khawaja faced intense criticism, was dropped for key matches, and found himself repeatedly questioned by media and former players.

“The way people came out and attacked me, calling me lazy, selfish, not committed, those are racial stereotypes I thought we had moved past,” he said. “I haven’t seen anyone else treated like that in the Australian team.”

Despite flashes of form, including an 82 at number four in Adelaide, Khawaja admitted the signs were clear. “Not being picked initially in Adelaide was probably when I knew it was time to move on,” he said, adding that he was grateful to leave the game on his own terms at a venue he loves.

Alongside his 88 Tests, Khawaja also represented Australia in 40 ODIs and nine T20 internationals but his legacy, he insists, will be about much more than statistics.

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