Usman Khawaja says the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG will be his last, calling time on a career that began – and, fittingly, will end – on the same patch of turf in Moore Park.
The 39-year-old left-hander will arrive in Sydney with 87 caps, 6206 runs and 16 hundreds. Few imagined those numbers when he spent two full seasons outside the XI earlier last decade. Yet the past four years have been prolific, and the decision, he insists, is his alone.
“I’ve been thinking about it, not wholly, but for awhile,” Khawaja said. “Moving into this series, I kind of had an inkling in my head that this would be the last series.
“I talked to Rachel [Khawaja’s wife] about it a fair bit, and I knew this was a big chance. I didn’t leave the door fully shut, because I knew there was a chance I could play on. I know [coach] Andrew McDonald even right til the very end, when I told him a few days ago, he was still thinking about how I could get to India [in 2027].
“I’m glad I get to leave on my own terms, with a little bit of dignity and go out at the SCG where I love. But I think the start of the series was a pretty tough time. Then going into Adelaide and not being picked initially for the game, that was probably a sign for me to say, all right, it’s time to move on.”
Early promise, long detours
Khawaja debuted in the final Test of the 2010-11 Ashes, filling in for an injured Ricky Ponting and becoming the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia. An elegant 37 on day one hinted at permanence, but a stop-start period followed. Between 2011 and late 2015 he managed just nine Tests.
A run-scoring burst began at Brisbane in 2015 – his maiden hundred against New Zealand – and three more tons arrived in his next four games. Even so, selection in Asia remained sporadic. The low point came midway through the 2019 Ashes when he was dropped at Headingley and disappeared from the Test scene for more than two years.
Return through the SCG door
Covid ruled Travis Head out of the 2021-22 Sydney Test, opening a recall. Khawaja seized it with twin hundreds – a rare feat at the ground – before shifting up to open. Not until this summer’s back spasms in Perth did he miss another match.
When he was omitted in Adelaide many felt the end had arrived. Yet Steven Smith’s illness created a late vacancy, Khawaja slipped into the middle order, survived an early chance and made 82 and 40. It proved enough to keep his spot for Melbourne and, ultimately, to choose his own exit.
Statistical lift
From that 2022 comeback to the close of last year’s Ashes he averaged 60.48 across 22 Tests, peeling off seven centuries. The highlights included 195 not out against South Africa on a tricky SCG surface, 496 runs on a poignant return tour of Pakistan, and 141 at Edgbaston that underpinned Australia’s series-opening victory in 2023.
Cricket analyst Lisa Sthalekar notes the transformation. “He’s gone from a fringe top-six player to one of Australia’s most reliable anchors,” she told ABC Grandstand. “That switch to opener after years in the middle order looks obvious now, but it took self-belief and adaptability.”
Balanced end-game
Khawaja’s recent returns have dipped – he averages in the mid-30s this southern summer – but selectors stressed form alone did not push the veteran. “Usman has earned the right to decide,” national chair George Bailey said earlier this week, declining to confirm his replacement. “We’ll address the future after Sydney.”
Legacy and context
Technically assured, especially off the back foot, Khawaja’s batting has often been described as languid. Behind the ease lay hours of work: coaches at Queensland speak of fitness strides that extended his career past 35, while McDonald highlights improved play against spin.
There is also the cultural significance. His presence resonated with Muslim and immigrant communities across Australia. Former Test batter Ed Cowen summed it up on SEN Radio: “Usman helped broaden the image of what an Australian cricketer looks like. That matters.”
Next chapter
Khawaja will continue with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash for at least one more season and has hinted at involvement in junior coaching. A decision on his Sheffield Shield future for Queensland will wait until after the Ashes.
For now, the focus is one final Test – his tenth at the SCG, the same ground where, 15 years ago, he walked out to bat with a crowd chanting his name despite the match situation. This time around, the stakes are an Ashes series still live at 2-1. A win guarantees an outright triumph; a draw will be enough to retain the urn.
“I’ve had good days here and a few rough ones,” he reflected in Melbourne. “Whatever happens next week, I’ll try to enjoy the lot – a few coffees, maybe take my daughters onto the outfield, soak it up. Then it’s someone else’s turn.”
The numbers, the narrative arcs and the gentle humour will stay with fans. And on day five, whenever it comes, Khawaja will remove his helmet, look around the Member’s Stand, and – one imagines – smile at the symmetry.
