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In January 2011, Usman Khawaja stepped onto the field for the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney, marking a significant milestone as he donned his baggy green cap, an emblematic moment for any cricketer joining the Australian Test team.
Reflecting on his journey, Khawaja spoke to SBS when he was still a teenager back in 2007, a time when his dreams were just beginning to take shape.
Among the few athletes willing to leverage their platform for meaningful discourse, Khawaja has consistently used his voice to address significant issues, notably during his retirement announcement. He candidly discussed the racism he encountered in his youth.
“As a proud Muslim and a person of color from Pakistan, I was often told that playing for the Australian cricket team was beyond reach. But here I am,” he declared, underscoring his resilience and achievements.
It worked with CA in establishing its ‘Sport for All Program’ in 2015. Skene said CA has done a lot of work since then to ensure higher proportions of Australia’s migrant communities embrace the game at all levels.
This month’s Under-19 World Cup squad includes Nitesh Samuel and Aryan Sharma, who have Sri Lankan and Indian backgrounds, respectively. Along with Alana King’s starring role with Australia’s women’s team, they could indicate the multicultural future of cricket is bright.
Australia’s Alana King celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Brooke Halliday during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup cricket match between New Zealand and Australia in 2025. Source: AAP / Rafiq Maqbool/AP
Last year’s Australian Under-17 championships featured 33 players of South Asian heritage — 23 per cent of the total number of players in the state squads.
Khawaja started his own foundation in 2018 to help youth from migrant communities achieve their potential. He has also called for Islamophobia to be condemned, and met with the prime minister last year to campaign for support for Gazans.
Babar Azam donates a team jersey to Usman Khawaja for the Usman Khawaja Foundation during a media opportunity at The Gabba in 2024. Source: Getty / Albert Perez
Khawaja wore shoes during matches with handwritten messages such as “All lives are equal” and “Freedom is a human right”. He also wore a dove symbol on his bat and a black armband in solidarity with the Palestinian people, called for sanctions on Israel, and supported the recognition of Palestinian statehood.
“For one last time to be thankful for what I’ve been given,” he said.
Usman Khawaja kissed the turf after he was dismissed playing his last match during day five of the fifth test in the 2025/26 Ashes series at Sydney Cricket Ground. Source: Getty / Robert Cianflone
The 39-year-old will, in the immediate future, spend more time with his growing family and perhaps play a little more golf. The curtain falling on his playing career has seen him become a little more philosophical than the 18-year-old who once only cared about playing for Australia.
