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Usman Khawaja made an announcement that he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes clash against England, leaving a legacy during his 15-year career. The 39-year-old left hander will pad up for the last time when the Test gets under way in Sydney on Sunday, ending months of speculation about his future.
It would be an 88th Test for Usman Khawaja, putting an end to a career where it began after making his debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2011, also against England. Khawaja had played 27 first-class matches by the time of his Test debut. He had scored more than 2,000 runs, he was averaging 51.70. In that 2010-11 summer he had already plundered 611 runs at 61.10, including a maiden double century in the Sheffield Shield which gave him his Test Debut.
Usman Khawaja has been in and out of the side but made his presence felt every time. In his first 24 Tests between 2011 and 2017, he was dropped six times but still scored 1,728 at 45.09, with five hundreds. In his next 20 Tests, played consecutively between November 2017 to August 2019 he made 1,159 runs at an average of 35.12, with three hundreds. In his most recent 43 Tests from January 2022 to December 2025 he scored 3,319 runs at 46.09, with eight hundreds with one to come in Sydney.
He made a remarkable turn around in the last three years scoring 3,319 runs which is the most scored by an Australian over the age of 35. After 88 Tests, he stands tall in 14th spot on Australia’s list of Test runs scorers, between Mike Hussey and Don Bradman.
Back spasms saw him miss the second Test of the Ashes series and initially it looked as if he would not be able to regain his spot as Head’s elevation to opener paid off handsomely. However, injury to Steve Smith on the eve of the third Test gave Khawaja one more way back into the side, which he capitalised on again with 82 in the unfamiliar position of No 4. Khawaja called time on his career on the eve of the fifth Test, fittingly to be played at his home ground, the SCG. Khawaja also played 40 one-dayers and nine Twenty20 internationals.
