News ‘Don’t gaslight me’ – Khawaja hits out at racial stereotyping
Usman Khawaja believes some of the flak he copped at the start of the Ashes for a back injury carried a racial edge, and he says the pattern has run through much of his playing life.
The 37-year-old spoke for close to fifty minutes at the SCG on Friday, confirming he will retire after the fifth Test against England, which begins on Sunday. Surrounded by his wife Rachel, their two young daughters, his parents and several relatives, Khawaja revisited the debate that blew up when he played three straight rounds of golf before the Perth Test, only to miss the first innings with spasms.
Born in Pakistan and the first Muslim to represent Australia in Tests, he insisted the reaction to that injury felt familiar.
“I’ve always felt a little bit different, even to now,” Khawaja said. “I’m a coloured cricketer. The Australian cricket team is, in my opinion … that’s our best team. It’s our pride and joy. But I’ve also felt very different in a lot of respects, different by the way I’ve been treated, different for how things have happened.”
He added that the back spasms were beyond his control, yet the commentary focused on his character rather than his fitness:
“I had back spasms, and that’s something I couldn’t control. But 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. And it wasn’t even about my performances.
“It was about something very personal, it’s about my preparation. And the way everyone came at me about my preparation, it was quite personal in terms of things like, 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 with them the day before the game, he’s lazy. These are the same stereotypes, the racial stereotypes I’ve grown up with my whole life.
“I just thought that the media and the old players and everyone else had moved past it, but we obviously haven’t fully moved past it, because I’ve never seen anyone been treated like that in the Australian cricket team before.”
Several Australian players have picked up golf-related knocks over the years. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis missed the 2022 T20 World Cup after slicing his hand on a club, while Glenn Maxwell sat out an ODI at the 2023 World Cup having fallen from the back of a golf cart. Neither episode triggered the same level of scrutiny.
Khawaja said the contrast is not lost on him.
“There’s still a little bit out there, which I still have to fight every single day, which is the frustrating thing for me,” Khawaja said. “I can give you countless number of guys who play golf the day before and have been injured. You guys haven’t said a thing. No one else said a thing.
“I can give you even more probably guys who’ve had 15 schooners the night before and then got injured. No one said a word. That’s all right. They’re just being Aussie larrikins, right? They’r”
Though the opening batter would have preferred to focus on his final Test, he acknowledged the press conference was a chance to address an issue he has largely parked during his 15-year career. Cricket Australia’s head of diversity, Adam Casson, later told reporters the governing body is “listening closely” and will discuss the matter with Khawaja once the series ends.
As for his farewell, Khawaja confirmed his body is “telling me it’s time”, and coach Andrew McDonald said the selectors will consider Travis Head or Marcus Harris for the vacancy next winter. Teammates spoke warmly; Pat Cummins described him as “a calm presence and a friend to everyone in the dressing-room”.
With 5,977 Test runs at 47.4, Khawaja’s place among Australia’s most reliable modern openers is secure. His goal now is a final contribution at his adopted home ground – ideally one that pulls the hosts level in what has become a compelling Ashes summer.
