Usman Khawaja

Born in Islamabad, Usman Khawaja became the first Pakistani-origin cricketer to represent Australia at the international stage. A classy top-order batter, the southpaw gave up a career as a qualified pilot in order to pursue his future in cricket.

After migrating from Pakistan at a young age, Khawaja started playing for the Randwick Petersham club in the outskirts of New South Wales and made his first-class debut against Victoria in 2008 at the age of 22. Khawaja finished the 2008-09 domestic season at an average of 42.61 and started 2009-10 with three centuries in the Sheffield Shield tournament, earning a call-up to the Test side against Pakistan in 2010.

After the much-hyped Test debut, his international career stalled slightly, and he decided to move to Queensland from NSW at the start of the 2012-13 domestic season. Returning back from a serious knee injury in 2015, Khawaja played a major role in the Sydney Thunder’s title conquest with two unbeaten centuries in the fifth edition of the Big Bash League (BBL). The southpaw rose to prominence and became a senior member of the Aussie Test squad when he scored a gritty Test century against Pakistan at Dubai in 2018 to save the match from the jaws of defeat.

Khawaja was also roped in by the Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2016 season as a replacement, following injuries to Kevin Pietersen and Faf du Plessis. He was then the leading run-getter for Australia in the 2016 World T20 with 143 runs in four matches. 

After years of inconsistent form and team exclusions, he returned in sensational style during the 2021–22 Ashes, scoring twin centuries at the SCG that re-established him as a key figure in Australia’s Test setup.

Khawaja’s momentum continued in the 2022 tour of Pakistan—his country of birth—where he dominated with 496 runs at a stunning average of 165.33, earning Player of the Series honours. His ability to adapt to subcontinent conditions was a turning point, highlighted by scores of 160, 91, and an unbeaten 104 in the decisive final Test.

By early 2023, he reached new heights with a career-best 195* against South Africa and surpassed 4,000 Test runs. He was rewarded with the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year and the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award, further underlining his prolific form.

In the 2023 Ashes, Khawaja silenced critics of his past struggles in England, emerging as the series’ top scorer with 496 runs. His century at Edgbaston and gritty 65 in the fourth innings laid the foundation for a narrow Australian win. Notably, he became only the second Australian ever to bat on all five days of a Test. Despite his brilliance, the series wasn’t without controversy—Khawaja clashed with MCC members at Lord’s and later criticised the hostile crowd environment, revealing the personal toll of enduring constant abuse.

Although he struggled during the 2024 home series against India, averaging just 20.44 and repeatedly falling to Jasprit Bumrah, Khawaja bounced back in the final Test at Sydney, contributing a vital 41 in a tense chase that helped Australia seal the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3–1 and book a place in the 2025 WTC Final.

Redemption came swiftly on Australia’s 2025 tour of Sri Lanka. In the opening Test, Khawaja scored a brilliant unbeaten 147 on Day 1, eventually converting it into his maiden double century. With 232 runs, he became the oldest Australian since Don Bradman to score a double hundred and the first Australian to do so on Sri Lankan soil. He also completed the rare feat of scoring centuries in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the UAE—a mark of his evolution as a true subcontinent specialist.

From comeback king to cornerstone of Australia’s top order, Khawaja has transformed adversity into artistry. His refined temperament, resilience under pressure, and classical approach to Test batting have not only silenced doubters but elevated him to the pantheon of modern greats.

(As of May 2025)