Source :ICC
Australia opener Usman Khawaja has announced his retirement from international cricket and will bring the curtain down on his distinguished career following the Sydney Ashes Test, which begins on 4 January.
Khawaja announced at a press conference two days before the match, with his family by his side, ahead of Australia’s training session. The Australians are aiming to secure another 12 ICC World Test Championship points and seal the series 4–1.
“I am here to announce today that I will be retiring from all international cricket after the SCG Test match,” Khawaja told reporters.
“Through cricket, God has given me far more than I could have imagined. He has given me memories I will carry forever, friendships that go well beyond the game, and lessons that have shaped who I am off the field.
“But no career belongs to one person. I have received a great deal of help along the way. To my parents, thank you for the sacrifices that never made the highlights reel.”
Across a 15-year international career, Khawaja has scored more than 8,000 runs in all formats, representing Australia in 87 Tests, 40 One-Day Internationals, and nine T20 Internationals.
Renowned for his composure and resilience at the top of the order, Khawaja will fittingly conclude his career in his hometown of Sydney, where he also made his Test debut against England in 2011.
“Funnily enough, I live just up the road from the SCG, on Cook Road to be exact,” he said. “As a boy whose parents were barely scraping by in a small two-bedroom apartment, I thought, ‘One day I am going to be a Test cricketer.’”
The SCG was also the venue where he revived his career at age 35, scoring twin centuries against England in early 2022 when Travis Head was unavailable due to COVID-19. That resurgence led to a late-career renaissance, including seven Test centuries over the following two years and Australia’s ICC World Test Championship title in 2023.
For his outstanding performances, Khawaja was named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year in 2023.
Khawaja departs as one of Australia’s most respected modern players, celebrated for his elegance, perseverance, and contribution to multiple eras of Australian cricket.