Usman Khawaja Announces Retirement, SCG Test to be His Last

Usman Khawaja confirmed retirement from Test cricket, with the Sydney Ashes Test set to be his final appearance after 88 matches.

Australia batter Usman Khawaja has confirmed his retirement and revealed that the Sydney Ashes Test will be the final match of his Test career. The left-hander will retire in his 88th appearance. Khawaja made the announcement on Friday with his family present and informed teammates shortly before training.

The 39-year-old is the senior member of Australia’s current Test squad. Khawaja will continue playing domestic cricket, including the Big Bash League for Brisbane Heat and the Sheffield Shield for Queensland.

“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,” Khawaja said during the press conference.

“It’s been tough, I’ve just wanted to tell everyone. I told teammates just then. I didn’t think I’d get emotional, but I teared up straightaway, and I had to compose myself. I finally composed myself and got out what I wanted to say. I never thought I’d be the guy that would cry when he retired, but I cried straightaway. It just shows what it means to me. My journey has been different to a lot of cricketers in the Australian cricket team. All that emotion built up,” he added.

“I just want to be remembered as a humble cricketer who went out there and entertained, and (that) people enjoyed watching,” he concluded.

Usman Khawaja: Career Statistics and Milestones

Usman Khawaja leaves Test cricket as one of Australia’s leading run-scorers. A further 30 runs will move him past Michael Hussey(6235) on the all-time list. He now has 6,206 runs and an average of 43.39. Khawaja scored 16 hundreds and 28 fifties, with a highest score of 232. He also stands among 18 Australians with more than 15 Test centuries. The 39-year-old played 40 ODIs, scoring 1,554 runs at 42.00, including 2 hundreds. His T20 record shows 9 matches and 241 runs.

He debuted at 24 during the 2010–11 Ashes at Sydney, replacing Ricky Ponting. A comeback in 2021–22 revived his career alongside David Warner. A career-best 232 came in Galle against Sri Lanka. Late contributions this summer helped Australia secure the 2025–26 Ashes.

READ ALSO | Travis Head Flags Burnout After Ashes, Likely to Skip Big Bash League Season

Meanwhile, in the Ashes series, Australia holds a 3-1 lead. The hosts won the first two matches by eight wickets each. Australia then won the third Test by 82 runs. England kept the series alive with a four-wicket win in the fourth Test. The fifth and final Test runs from January 4 to 8 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting at 10:30 am AEDT.