Pakistan-born Australian prolific batter Usman Khawaja has shocked his fans with a surprise retirement from all formats of international cricket.
The star left-hand batter held an explosive presser, saying that “I’m a proud Muslim, coloured boy from Pakistan who was told he would never play for the Australian cricket team. Look at me now.”
He lashed out at the racial attacks against him, “The way the media and the past players came out and attacked me, I could have copped it for two days, but I copped it for about five days straight.”
“The way everyone came at me about my preparation was quite personal in terms of ‘he’s not committed to the team’, ‘he was only worried about himself’, ‘he played this golf comp the day before’, ‘he’s selfish’, ‘he doesn’t train hard enough’, ‘he didn’t train the day before game’, ‘he’s lazy’, he added.
Usman Khawaja said that “These are the same stereotypes, racial stereotypes I’ve grown up with my whole life. I just thought the media and old players and everyone else had moved past them, but we obviously haven’t. I need to talk about it right here and right now'”
“I can give you a countless number of guys who have played golf the day before and been injured and you guys haven’t said a thing,” Khawaja said. “You’re working towards it you can’t do more than that.”
Why Usman Khawaja Wasn’t Australia’s Opener in the First Ashes Test
Earlier, Usman Khawaja came into the spotlight when he did not open the innings for Australia. Instead, debutant Jake Weatherald partnered with Marnus Labuschagne at the top. Khawaja’s absence raised questions and sparked discussions online.
The reason for Khawaja’s absence was later clarified. According to ICC rules, a player who spends significant time off the field must wait before batting or bowling. Khawaja had been off the field for an extended period during England’s innings. As a result, he was not eligible to open Australia’s innings.
Reports suggest Khawaja left the field for a “toilet break and stretching.” Under ICC rule 24.2.3, players who are off the field for more than eight minutes must wait an equivalent amount of time before resuming play. This rule ensures fairness and prevents players from gaining an undue advantage.
Australia’s innings began poorly, with Weatherald dismissed for a duck on debut. At the time of writing, the hosts were 0/1, adding pressure to their batting lineup. Khawaja, a regular opener, will join the innings once his penalty time expires.
