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Australia opener Usman Khawaja has announced that the ongoing Ashes series will be his last in international cricket, with the left-hander set to retire after the final Test in Sydney, bringing the curtain down on a career that began at the same venue.
If selected, the 39-year-old will feature in his 88th Test when Australia take the field at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Sunday, marking a full-circle moment in a journey that started with his Test debut against England in 2011.
Khawaja also leaves behind a significant legacy as Australia’s first Muslim men’s Test cricketer.
Speaking at the SCG with his family present, Khawaja admitted the decision had been forming for some time.
“I’ve been thinking about it, not wholly, but for a while,” Khawaja said. “Moving into this series, I kind of had an inkling in my head that this would be the last series.”
Khawaja revealed that discussions with his wife, Rachel, and head coach Andrew McDonald played a key role in shaping his decision.
He also acknowledged that being left out earlier in the series, particularly ahead of the Adelaide Test, was a moment that clarified his thinking and reinforced that it was time to move on.
“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,” he said.
“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.'”
The veteran opener said he had contemplated retirement at various stages over the past two years and had even spoken to McDonald about potentially finishing after last summer’s Boxing Day Test against India.
He stressed that he never wanted to overstay his welcome and was prepared to step aside whenever the team felt it was necessary.
Despite external criticism suggesting he was holding on for personal reasons, Usman Khawaja maintained that he continued playing only because the team management wanted him to.
“Andrew McDonald practically said, No, I want you to stay. We need you for Sri Lanka and the World Test Championship. I want you to stay on. And so I did,” he added.
While his international career is nearing its end, Khawaja confirmed he will continue to play domestic cricket.
He is set to remain available for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and hopes to turn out for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield later in the season.
Khawaja has so far scored 6206 runs in 87 Test matches, including 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries, at an average of 43.39. His highest score of 232 came against Sri Lanka last year.
In addition to his red-ball exploits, he represented Australia in 40 ODIs, scoring 1,554 runs at an average of 42, and played nine T20Is, tallying 241 runs at a strike rate of 132.41.
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