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 \u201cstill very white\u201d and calling out what he described as enduring racial stereotypes in its culture.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m off the leash now,\u201d Khawaja said, as he reflected on a career shaped by both success and, he argued, unequal treatment.<\/p>\n The Pakistan-born batter, Australia\u2019s first Muslim Test cricketer, said he had long felt \u201ca little bit different\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I did my back, I had back spasms, it was something I couldn\u2019t control,\u201d he said. \u201cThe way the media and past players came out and attacked me \u2026 I copped it for about five days straight. Everyone was piling in.\u201d<\/p>\n Khawaja said the criticism quickly drifted into familiar and damaging territory. \u201cOnce the racial stereotypes came in, of me being lazy, it was things I\u2019ve dealt with my whole life,\u201d he said. \u201cPakistani, West Indian, coloured players \u2026 we\u2019re selfish, we only care about ourselves, we don\u2019t care about the team, we don\u2019t train hard enough.\u201d<\/p>\n He contrasted his treatment with that of teammates who had suffered injuries under less scrutiny. \u201cI can give you countless guys who have played golf the day before and been injured and you guys haven\u2019t said a thing,\u201d Khawaja said. \u201cI can give you even more guys who have had 15 schooners the night before, then got injured, and no one\u2019s said a word. That\u2019s alright, they\u2019re just being Aussie larrikins.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I get injured, everyone went at my credibility and who I am as a person,\u201d he added. \u201cNormally when someone gets injured, you feel sorry for them. \u2018Poor Josh Hazlewood\u2019 or \u2018poor Nathan Lyon\u2019. We feel sorry for them and we don\u2019t attack what happened to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Khawaja acknowledged progress in Australian society but insisted the game still has work to do. \u201cWe\u2019re a lot better and more inclusive than we\u2019ve been before,\u201d he said, \u201cbut there\u2019s still a way to go because Australian cricket is still very white in a lot of respects.\u201d<\/p>\n With more than 6,000 Test runs from 87 matches and 16 centuries, Khawaja said he expected backlash for speaking out but hoped his words might ease the path for those who follow.<\/p>\n \u201cI know people will say, \u2018Uzzie\u2019s playing the race card again\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cBut don\u2019t gaslight me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIslamophobia is still very rife. I didn\u2019t want to talk about this, but I want the journey for the next Usman Khawaja to be different,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019m hoping one day that Usman Khawaja is the same as John Smith.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI call myself the people\u2019s champ,\u201d Khawaja said, \u201cbecause I speak about things for the people that others don\u2019t want to speak about.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia have already retained the Ashes, leading the five-match series against England 3-1 ahead of the final Test in Sydney starting Sunday. <\/p>\n The burning issue<\/p>\n The\u00a0internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment \u2013\u00a0major manufacturer\u00a0Volvo\u00a0is to stop\u00a0producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021\u00a0and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040.\u00a0The National\u00a0takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read part four:\u00a0an affection for classic cars lives on<\/a><\/p>\n Read part three:\u00a0the age of the electric vehicle begins<\/a><\/p>\n