Michael Vaughan Urges Usman Khawaja To Decide On Retirement Ahead of Sydney Test

Michael Vaughan advised Usman Khawaja to take control of his future and consider ending his Test career on his own terms at the Sydney Ashes Test.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged Australia opener Usman Khawaja to retire on his own terms and decide his “destiny” ahead of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England, scheduled to begin on January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Speculation around Khawaja’s retirement has gathered pace in recent weeks, though the batter has not made any official statement. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald, speaking after the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, said there had been no discussions with Khawaja regarding his future and played down the outside noise.

Khawaja began the Ashes as Australia’s established opener but has not opened since suffering back spasms in Perth. He missed the Brisbane Test and was initially left out of the Adelaide Test before being recalled to bat at No. 4 due to Steven Smith’s illness.

The 39-year-old has averaged 25.93 and 36.11 over the past two years. In 2025, he scored 614 runs in 18 innings, including one fifty and one hundred. His only century this year came against Sri Lanka during Australia’s tour in January–February 2025, when he struck a massive 232 in the first innings of the opening Test.

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Ahead of the Sydney Test, Vaughan said Khawaja should take charge of his own future and enjoy the opportunity to sign off at home if he chooses to do so.

“I would say to Usman, ‘Don’t let them decide. You decide your destiny’. When someone has been playing for so long, we’ve just got to let them decide. Usman has had an incredible career and not many get the chance to say goodbye on their own terms at their own venue,” Vaughan said, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Vaughan added that finishing his career at his home ground in an Ashes series would be ideal, but stressed that the decision should depend on Khawaja’s hunger to continue.

“If he doesn’t do that, he runs the risk of his career ending not on his own terms. I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye than at his home ground in an Ashes series. If Uzzie has got the energy and capacity to really want to fight on, yeah, I could see that happening, but leaving in Sydney in an Ashes series sounds pretty good to me,” Vaughan added.