Usman Khawaja with wife, Rachel McLellan and children (Source: X.com)
On Friday, the Pakistan-origin Australian cricketer, Usman Khawaja, announced his retirement date. He stated that he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes clash against England. This marks the end of a 15-year-long career that was marred by "racial stereotyping", according to Usman.
However, while lashing out at the negatives he suffered in his career, Khawaja also gave special tribute to his wife, mentioning, "You truly are one of my greatest blessings in life".
Meet Usman Khawaja's wife, Rachel McLellan, who converted to Islam for marriage
The lefty-batter is married to Rachel McLellan, who is nine years younger than him. As per the publicly available information, the two first met in Sydney, got engaged in 2016, and tied the knot in 2018.
It is important to note that before marrying Khawaja, Rachel was a Catholic. However, she chose to convert to Islam before their wedding. Khawaja has said that Rachel embraced Islam of her own free will, without any pressure. The couple had a traditional Islamic wedding.
Many admire Rachel for chosing love, not worrying about societal prejudices. Yet, it has not always been good times.
Usman Khawaja's wife, daughters targeted after Bondi Beach massacre
In one of Australia's worst mass shootings in nearly 30 years, 15 people were killed at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14. Two gunmen, Sajeed Akram and his son Naveed, opened fire on people celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, at the famous beach.
Following the attack, the family of Usman Khawaja, who was playing in the Ashes, were targeted with some nasty comments due to Khawaja's ethnicity, who belongs to the Muslim community.
His wife, Rachel Khawaja, posted a screenshot of the unsavoury remarks that targeted the couple's daughters as well.
"I've collected a small sample of some of the comments we have received over the past week," she posted. "I would love to say this is new, but sadly we have always received these kinds of messages. But of course, they have gotten worse."
Some comments called their daughters "future school blasters" and "cancer terr***** blood." Others told the family to "go home" to Pakistan.
"It is important now more than ever that we continue to come together and stay united," Rachel added. "Whether it's standing up against antisemitism, Islamophobia, or racism, we shouldn't stand for any of it."
Khawaja's special thanks to his wife during retirement press con
In his retirement announcement, the 39-year-old Khawaja stated, "Rachel, my beloved wife, this journey has asked more of you than it has ever asked of me, particularly since you read everything that goes on in the press. "
"The missed moments, the long stretches apart, the pressures that come with this life and taking care of the kids on your own, you carried our family so I could chase my dream, and I'll always be grateful for that."
He further humorously mentioned the banter the couple have, "And don't worry, I know how you always remind me that all my international centuries came after I met you. You truly are one of my greatest blessings in life."
"You changed the path of my life, and you definitely changed the path of my career. And I thank Allah every day that I got to share this journey with you. I love you so much."
Indeed, Usman Khawaja's emotions when speaking about his family and wife, Rachel, showed his love for them, along with the gratitude he owed for their sacrifices along the way.
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