Usman Khawaja during Press Conference at SCG, Sydney (Source: AFP)
After a string of conundrums around his career, veteran Australia opener Usman Khawaja has announced his international retirement on Friday. Usman Khawaja made this announcement during a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney ahead of the last Ashes Test against England in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26.
Khawaja announced that the fifth and last Test at the SCG in Sydney will be his last international appearance in the baggy green cap. The veteran southpaw has been through a string of conundrums aroud his career in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26, alongside his struggle with the injury.
"I've been thinking about it, not wholly, but for a while. Moving into this series, I kind of had an inkling in my head that this would be the last series," said Khawaja during the media interaction in SCG press room with his family watching him.
"I knew this was a big chance..." - Usman Khawaja on his retirement decision
Notably, Khawaja has been a stable opening option for Australia in the Tests for last 15 years since his debut in 2011. He also paired with the former Aussie veteran David Warner to open the innings in Tests.
"I talked to Rachel [my wife] about it a fair bit, and I knew this was a big chance. I didn't leave the door fully shut, because I knew there was a chance I could play on. I know [coach] Andrew McDonald even right till the very end, when I told him a few days ago, he was still thinking about how I could get to India [in 2027]," he said.
"I'm glad I get to leave on my own terms, with a little bit of dignity and go out at the SCG where I love. But I think the start of the series was a pretty tough time. Then going into Adelaide and not being picked initially for the game, that was probably a sign for me to day, all right, it's time to move on," the 39-year-old added later while speaking on playing his career's last game at his favourite Sydney Cricket Ground.
Khawaja reveals his straightforward conversation with coach Andrew McDonald
Furthermore, the Pakistan-born Aussie opener also admitted about his thoughts of retirement at different stages in the period of last two years.
He also revealed his conversation with Australia head coach Andrew McDonald around the Boxing-Day Test against India during Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
"I said to him, if, at any stage right now, if you want me to retire, I will retire straight away. I have no issue. I'm not hanging on for myself," he said.
In his illustrous 15-year-long Test career, Khawaja has scored 6,206 runs in 157 innings of the 87 Tests he has played, with an average of 43.39, hitting 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries. Sydney Test will be the last and 88th game of his Test career.
Speaking of Khawaja's strong affair with SCG, he has batted in 14 innings at this ground, scoring 875 runs with an amazing average of 87.5 hitting four centuries and a half-century.
However, Usman Khawaja hasn't been in an expected run of form in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 against England. He has scored 153 runs in five innings across the three Tests he has played in the series, averaging 30.80, including a half-century.
