Australia's first Muslim cricketer Usman Khawaja has announced his international retirement. He says while Australian cricket has come a long way in dealing with discrimination, it still has a long way to go.

Council of the City of Sydney

Usman Khawaja has announced his retirement from international cricket, sharing reflections on the discrimination he has faced as Australia's first Muslim cricketer. He recounted how recent criticism during the Perth test reminded him of the racial stereotypes and vilification he experienced, particularly as a young player in Western Sydney during the 1990s.

Khawaja acknowledged that while Australian society has become more inclusive, cricket in the country remains predominantly white and further progress is needed. As he prepares for his final test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Khawaja expressed hope that his legacy will help pave the way for future generations of diverse players.

Usman Khawaja retires, reflects on racism in Australian cricket

Usman Karwaja's announcement of his international retirement comes with powerful reflections on the discrimination he's faced throughout his career. The 39-year-old, Australia's first Muslim cricketer, says recent criticism during the Perth test brought back painful memories from his early days. It was a challenge. And that's why I said I gave my long spiel earlier about how I felt I was treated at the start when I did my back. It wasn't specifically the media itself. Now that social media is so big, everyone had their say and everyone was sort of piling in. But once the racial stereotypes of me being lazy, things I've done my whole life, lazy, you know, Pakistani, West Indian players, coloured players, we're selfish, we only care about ourselves. His journey began in Western Sydney during the 1990s, where he experienced significant racial vilification as a young player breaking into the sport. Trust me, being a Western Sydney boy in the 90s, I heard some stuff. I can't say it here, but yeah, I copped a lot, a lot of racial vilification during that time. And yeah, I feel like we're a lot better inclusive of society now than we've been before. But there's still a little bit way to go because Australian cricket is still very white in a lot of respects. Now, as he prepares for his final test at the SCG. Karwaja hopes his legacy makes the path easier for the next generation.

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