Australian batter Usman Khawaja will retire from international cricket following the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney, which will be his 88th. Australia are 3-1 up in the series having already retained the Ashes, and Khawaja addressed the speculation around his future on Friday. Live coverage of the Sydney Test - starting on Saturday January 3 - will be on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Usman Khawaja has announced he will retire from international cricket after the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney.
The batter turned 39 last month, and will play his 88th and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground - which will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
"I’m here to announce today that I will be retiring from all international cricket after the SCG Test match," Khawaja told reporters at the ground.
"God through cricket has given me far more than I could have imagined. He’s given me memories I’ll carry forever, friendship that goes well beyond the game, and lessons that shaped me, who I am, off the field.
"But no career belongs to one person. I obviously had a lot of help. To my parents, thank you for your sacrifices that never made the highlights reel."
Khawaja has scored 6,206 runs at an average of 43.39 for Australia over the last 15 years, with 16 centuries.
It is fitting that Khawaja will bow out at the SCG, where he debuted for Australia in 2011 in the Ashes. His inclusion saw him become the first Muslim to play for Australia.
Australia have already retained the Ashes - they lead the series 3-1 - giving Khawaja the chance to bow out from his career in style.
"Funnily enough, I live just up the road from the SCG, on Cook Road, to be exact," he said.
"And I’ll never forget when I was younger, I saw Michael Slater drive in his red Ferrari. I couldn’t believe my luck. I just saw a Test cricketer.
"And as a boy, whose parents were barely scraping through in trying to provide for their kids in a little two-bedroom apartment, I thought, ‘One day, I’m going to be a Test cricketer and one day I can drive whatever I want.’"
He scored his first Ashes century in Sydney with 171 against England in 2018. The SCG was also the site of his career resurgence when, as a 35-year-old, he scored a pair of centuries against England in January 2022.
"This game humbles you," Khawaja added as he announced his retirement on Friday.
"It tests your patience, your resilience and your character. And if you’re lucky, it teaches you gratitude.
"Even on days that it doesn’t go your way, I hope I’ve inspired many children along the way, particularly those who feel that they are different, those who feel they don’t belong, or those [who] others tell that they will never make it.
"I felt all these things growing up, and trying to be an Australian cricketer, but seeing is believing.
"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.
"As I walk off for the last time, I do so with gratitude and peace. Or as we say, ‘salam’. Grateful for the journey, the people, the lessons.
"Thank you for letting me live my dream and for sharing it with me."
The 2025/26 Ashes series concludes with the fifth Test in Sydney, starting on Saturday January 3, with every ball live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
- RHYS JONES
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