Usman Khawaja is an Australian cricketer who represents Australia and Queensland. Khawaja Commenced his first-class cricket career with New South Wales in 2008. He marked his international debut for Australia in January 2011.
Bio/Wiki
Age: 37 years
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Weight: 72 kg
Full name: Usman Tariq Khawaja
Born: 18 December 1986
Birthplace: Islamabad, Pakistan
Spouse: Rachel McLellan (m. 2018)
Profession: Australian cricketer
Nationality: Australian, Pakistani
Dates joined: 2022 (Brisbane Heat), 2021 (Islamabad United), MORE
Current teams: Brisbane Heat (Batter), Queensland Bulls (Batter), Valley District Cricket Club (Batter)
Parents
Usman Khawaja, born in Islamabad, Pakistan, is the child of Tariq Khawaja and Fozia Tariq. At the age of four, his family relocated to New South Wales. Usman achieved the distinction of being the first Australian of Pakistani descent to represent the country in cricket during his debut in the 2010–11 Ashes series.
Wife
Usman Khawaja tied the knot with Rachel, announcing their engagement on December 14, 2016, through his Facebook page. The couple officially became husband and wife on April 6, 2018. Before their wedding, Rachel Khawaja (formerly McLellan) embraced Islam. It’s noteworthy that Usman Khawaja holds dual citizenship, being both an Australian and Pakistani citizen.
Children
Usman Khawaja has two children named Aisha and Ayla.
Education
He holds qualifications as a commercial and instrument-rated pilot, having earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation from the University of New South Wales before making his Test debut. Remarkably, he obtained his basic pilot license before acquiring his driving license. His education took place at Westfields Sports High School.
Career
Professional Journey in Domestic and T20 Cricket
Left-handed top-order batsman Usman Khawaja received the Player of the Australian Under-19 Championship in 2005 and represented Australia in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka as an opening batsman. Making his first-class debut for the New South Wales Blues in 2008, Khawaja achieved a rare feat that year by scoring consecutive double centuries for the NSW Second XI. In 2010, Cricket Australia included him in the Australian touring squad for a two-Test series against Pakistan in England.
From 2011 to February 2022, Khawaja played for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, notably finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in BBL05. He signed a contract with Derbyshire for the 2011 English domestic season and played four County Championship matches, including a century against Kent. Following his county stint, he made additional Test appearances in 2011 before being dropped from the Australian Test team.
Lancashire signed Khawaja as an overseas player for the 2014 county season, and in August 2015, he was appointed captain of the Queensland cricket team. In April 2018, Glamorgan County Cricket Club signed him for the 2018 Vitality Blast tournament in England. In April 2021, Islamabad United signed Khawaja for the rescheduled matches in the 2021 Pakistan Super League.
However, in February 2022, Khawaja opted out of his contract with the Sydney Thunder, citing “family reasons.”
International career
Usman Khawajawas included in the 17-man Australian squad for the 2010–11 Ashes series, initially serving as a stand-by for Ricky Ponting, who had fractured his finger during the third Test. Eventually, Khawaja made his debut in the fifth Test against England on January 3, 2011, becoming the 419th Australian to receive a Test baggy green cap. Notably, he was the first Muslim and Pakistani-born Australian player in Test cricket, and only the seventh foreign-born cricketer in the past 80 years.
Making his Twenty20 International debut against India on January 31, 2016, Khawaja displayed impressive form during the 2015–16 season for both Australia and his domestic T20 franchise, the Sydney Thunder. His resurgence as a batsman garnered attention, especially after being dropped from the Australian team in 2013 and recovering from an injury in 2015.
In April 2018, Cricket Australia awarded Khawaja a national contract for the 2018–19 season. He played a crucial innings in the first Test against Pakistan in 2018 at Dubai, saving the match. In April 2019, he was named in Australia’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup but suffered a hamstring injury during the final group-stage match against South Africa, ending his tournament.
Khawaja’s participation in the 2019 Ashes series in England was marked by mixed performances, leading to his replacement by Steve Smith in the fourth Test. In July 2020, he was included in a preliminary squad for a possible tour to England, but did not make the final squad. Returning to international cricket in January 2022, Khawaja played a pivotal role in the 4th Ashes Test, scoring twin centuries (137 and 101*). He continued his impressive form during the Australian tour of Pakistan, finishing as the highest run-scorer in the series with 496 runs at an average of 165.33, earning him the player of the series award. In the third Test against South Africa in January 2023, Khawaja surpassed 4000 Test runs and achieved his career-best score of 195 runs.
Usman Khawaja in IPL 2024
Usman Khawaja, the seasoned Australian cricketer, who captains Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, will be conspicuously absent from the IPL 2024 auction. Despite his success with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Khawaja hasn’t garnered significant demand in the Indian T20 league.
Having represented Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2016 IPL season, where he played six matches and scored 127 runs with a top score of 30, Khawaja has not participated in any subsequent IPL seasons. The left-handed batsman boasts a T20 record of 116 games, amassing 3255 runs at a strike rate of 130.25, including three centuries and 16 half-centuries.
Usman Khawaja Net Worth
Usman Khawaja has a net worth of $5 million.
Usman Khawaja Alleges ICC Double Standards and Inconsistency in Gaza Support
Usman Khawaja, has once again criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for what he perceives as double standards. Khawaja’s request to display a dove of peace on his bat during the second Test against Pakistan was denied at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Pakistan-born cricketer has been vocal about expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza. Earlier, he was reprimanded for wearing a black armband in the first Test in Perth.
Initially, Khawaja aimed to convey his support with messages like “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” on his shoes, reflecting the colors of the Palestinian flag. However, this gesture violated ICC regulations. Subsequently, Khawaja collaborated with Cricket Australia to find an alternative way to show his support, resulting in the dove symbol on his bat accompanied by the message “01: UDHR,” referencing the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, mentioned on Monday that the team understands and supports Khawaja’s desire to express solidarity with the people of Gaza.
“I don’t know the ins and outs of the application, but I think it is pretty vanilla, a dove,” he told reporters.
“We really support Uzzy, I think he’s standing up for what he believes and I think he’s doing it really respectfully,” he said.
“He can hold his head high the way he’s gone about it, but there’s rules in place, so I believe the ICC have said they’re not going to approve that. They make up the rules and you’ve got to accept it.”
The ICC Code of Conduct prohibits players from wearing, displaying, or conveying messages on clothing or equipment without prior approval, particularly for causes deemed “political, religious, or racial.” Thispolicy aims to maintain neutrality and avoid the endorsement of specific political or ideological stances on the field.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, Israel’s ongoing assault in response to cross-border attacks by Hamas on October 7 has resulted in a significant loss of life, with at least 20,700 Palestinians reported killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.
