Usman Khawaja's Legacy: He'll be remembered for more than just 6,000 runs or 16 tons

Moving away from one's roots in search of a better life in a distant and unfamiliar place is a huge challenge for ordinary mortals. It is even more difficult to attain a level of excellence in one of the most popular sports in that country and win a place in the national squad. One has to face severe discrimination and overcome significant handicaps before the talent is acknowledged and a path is cleared for the rise to the top. The stories of such achievers seldom make dull reading and invariably provide life lessons for up-and-coming players.

Usman Khwaja, the Aussie cricketer with Pakistani roots who retired from international cricket last week, was one such player who overcame heavy odds to earn his spurs in contemporary international cricket.

His parents hailed from Pakistan, where Khwaja was born in Islamabad 39 years ago, and made their way to Australia when he was five. As is often the case with immigrants who cross borders without a steady job or history of academic excellence, the initial years were hard for the entire family. Financial struggles were nothing new to them, but the constant ridicule they were subjected to, on account of their skin colour and the religion they practised, was something they were not accustomed to. But they kept their heads down and went ahead with their lives, forgetting little but never failing to forgive.

As a small kid growing up in the suburbs of Sydney, Khwaja learnt to play cricket before he started speaking English. Those were difficult days, as the neighbourhood was not used to seeing people with brown skin. Money was also hard to come by and Khwaja had admitted to spending many days of his childhood outside the Sydney Cricket Ground waiting to catch a glimpse of those cricketers fortunate enough to be playing in the ground inside.

But he worked hard, not only on his cricket but also in academics, with the result that he completed his aviation degree at the University of New South Wales and qualified as a professional pilot before he made his debut in international cricket.

Khwaja made his first-class debut in 2008 and scored a polished 85 while batting at No. 7 for New South Wales against Victoria. A series of consistent performances earned him a call-up from the Aussie selectors, and he was included in the squad against the touring Pakistan in 2010. He never played in that series. He debuted in the fifth Test of the Ashes series played in 2010-11, when Ricky Ponting suffered an injury and was ruled out of the game. Batting at the crucial No. 3 spot, Khwaja made 37 and 21, but he was unfortunate to end up on the losing side as England won by an innings and 83 runs. He lost his place in the side after playing four more Tests.

An unusual incident threatened to disrupt Khwaja's budding career in 2013. During the tour to India in the winter of 2012-13, all members of the touring party were asked to make a presentation on improving their technique, mental strength and approach as a team after the side lost the first two tests. Khwaja and three other players failed to carry out this task, which annoyed the team management, leading to all four being “suspended” from consideration for the next game. This ensured that Khwaja did not get a look-in during the series against India and had to remain content with staying amongst the reserves.

Khwaja took a big decision to move from New South Wales to Queensland in 2012. This gave a big boost to his career, and he has since admitted that the move helped rekindle his passion for the game that had ebbed a bit. He was appointed as the captain of the Queensland side in the 2015-16 season and this responsibility brought out the best in him as a batsman.

Though Khwaja made a comeback to the national squad in 2015, it was never smooth sailing for him. Initially, there were questions about his ability to play top-class spin bowling on account of a series of poor performances in the Indian sub-continent. He could answer them convincingly only in 2018 when he scored a century against Pakistan at Dubai. The presence of Travis Head, Marcus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the top order often left Khwaja always a mere couple of failures away from losing his place in the squad. It must be said to his credit that he never threw in the towel and always fought back to regain his place.

The final phase of his career, from 2022 onwards, was the best one for him, with runs flowing from his bat in a torrent. The only “trough” during this period took place during the series against India in 2024-25, when Jasprit Bumrah got a measure of him by tying him down to the crease and dismissing him on six out of the eight occasions that he took guard at the wicket. But he recovered from this bad patch and struck form soon enough to strike a double hundred in Sri Lanka in the months since to end his Test career with an aggregate of 6,229 runs from 88 Tests, including 16 centuries and a highest score of 232 runs. He is also the only batsman to have scored centuries in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Dubai. An elegant left-hander, the languid manner with which he played the pull shot brought memories of David Gower, the former England captain.

All through his remarkable career, Khwaja displayed a penchant for expressing his views boldly on controversial topics. During the practice sessions prior to the series against Pakistan in 2023, he wore a pair of shoes on which was pasted a sticker with the words “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal”, written in the colour of the Palestinian flag. He received a warning from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for this gesture, prompting him to cover this, but he sported a black arm band during the first Test. When ICC ruled that this gesture contravened the clothing regulations, Khwaja backed off, stating that while he respected ICC rulings, he sought more consistency from the governing body.

The ICC also rejected his request to affix a picture of a dove on his bat. In exasperation, he took to Instagram and pointed out the injustice of ICC taking action against him when it did not object to several players displaying religious symbols on their equipment.

Khwaja’s actions won the support from the Australian side, with skipper Pat Cummins backing him publicly. His public espousal of the Palestine cause won him an equal number of friends and detractors in the public arena. As a columnist pithily observed, Khwaja was a part of the Australian side but stood apart from the rest!

In the final analysis, Khwaja will be remembered not for the number of runs that he scored but for the obstacles that he overcame and the glass ceilings that he broke to etch a name for himself in the annals of Australian cricket.

He is first player of Pakistani origin to play for Australia and the first Muslim to don the baggy green Aussie cap as well. His answer to the question of how he would like to be remembered- “as a good person, a good human being, a good father and a good son” stands as testimony to his innate humility and modesty, qualities which helped him stay rooted during all the years at the top. These traits will stand him in good stead as he embarks on his second innings in life, besides endowing him with tons of goodwill and respect.

Well played, Usman Tariq Khwaja! You have been a true icon and marvellous inspiration for millions of young cricketers.