Usman Khawaja says Australian cricket ‘still very white’ as he announces retirement

Usman Khawaja used the platform of his international retirement to deliver one of the most forthright critiques of Australian cricket in recent memory, declaring the sport remains “still very white” and calling out what he described as enduring racial stereotypes in its culture.

Speaking for more than 45 minutes at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday, Khawaja said the fifth Ashes Test in his home city would be the final chapter of a 15-year career in the Baggy Green. But the 39-year-old made it clear he was not stepping away quietly.

“I’m off the leash now,” Khawaja said, as he reflected on a career shaped by both success and, he argued, unequal treatment.

The Pakistan-born batter, Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer, said he had long felt “a little bit different” within the game. While many of his grievances were historical, Khawaja focused in particular on the reaction to a back injury he suffered in the series opener against England, saying the scrutiny he faced exposed deeper biases.

“When I did my back, I had back spasms, it was something I couldn’t control,” he said. “The way the media and past players came out and attacked me … I copped it for about five days straight. Everyone was piling in.”

Khawaja said the criticism quickly drifted into familiar and damaging territory. “Once the racial stereotypes came in, of me being lazy, it was things I’ve dealt with my whole life,” he said. “Pakistani, West Indian, coloured players … we’re selfish, we only care about ourselves, we don’t care about the team, we don’t train hard enough.”

He contrasted his treatment with that of teammates who had suffered injuries under less scrutiny. “I can give you countless guys who have played golf the day before and been injured and you guys haven’t said a thing,” Khawaja said. “I can give you even more guys who have had 15 schooners the night before, then got injured, and no one’s said a word. That’s alright, they’re just being Aussie larrikins.”

“When I get injured, everyone went at my credibility and who I am as a person,” he added. “Normally when someone gets injured, you feel sorry for them. ‘Poor Josh Hazlewood’ or ‘poor Nathan Lyon’. We feel sorry for them and we don’t attack what happened to them.”

Khawaja acknowledged progress in Australian society but insisted the game still has work to do. “We’re a lot better and more inclusive than we’ve been before,” he said, “but there’s still a way to go because Australian cricket is still very white in a lot of respects.”

With more than 6,000 Test runs from 87 matches and 16 centuries