After the conclusion of the New Year’s Test match against England, Usman Khawaja will retire from international cricket, the veteran batsman has declared. Before officially announcing that his 88th Test match participation would be his final in international cricket, the 39-year-old spoke to the media prior to the Sydney Test and told all of his Australian colleagues.
At the age of five, Usman Khawaja, who was born in Islamabad, Pakistan, moved to Australia, another nation that is obsessed with cricket. Since then, he has dedicated his entire life to playing cricket for Australia, regardless of the level. Three years after making his First-Class debut in 2008, he ended up playing for the senior team after beginning his career with New South Wales. It was only natural for him to be emotionally invested in the choice.
“I just wanted to let everyone know how difficult it has been. At that moment, I informed my teammates. I didn’t anticipate becoming emotional, but I started crying right away and had to gather myself. When I eventually calmed down, I spoke what I wanted to say. I never imagined that I would be the one to cry when he retired, but I did so right away.
It simply demonstrates what it means to me,” Usman Khawaja said to the press.
“Compared to many other cricket players on the Australian team, my journey has been unique. All of that emotion accumulated. All I want is to be known as a modest cricket player who went out there and entertained, and that people had fun doing it,” Usman Khawaja remarked.
Although Usman Khawaja played for Australia in all three of the game’s formats, it was as a red-ball cricketer that his real comeback was revealed. With 16 hundreds at an average north of 43, he has amassed almost 6000 runs in Test match cricket. He wouldn’t mind hitting 17 hundreds and starting his second innings with a pleasant ending because this is his final game.
Home