Usman Khawaja Retirement: Usman Khawaja spoke candidly on the 'racial stereotypes' encountered during his Cricketing career, in an address to the media, where he announced his retirement from international Cricket on Friday. A veteran of 87 Tests, Khawaja will play his final Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting on January 4 (Sunday).
The Australian opener accused former players of attacking him for having back spasms, which is something beyond his control. Khawaja stated that the criticism wasn't about his performances anymore.
Khawaja, who recently turned 39, amassed 6206 runs in which he smashed 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries. Khawaja possesses a healthy test average of 43.39 in 157 innings.
Notably, Khawaja was the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia.
I Have Been Treated Differently: Khawaja
"I've always felt a little bit different, even to now. I'm a coloured cricketer. The Australian cricket team is, in my opinion ... that's our best team. It's our pride and joy. But I've also felt very different in a lot of respects, different by the way I've been treated, different for how things have happened. I had back spasms, and that's something I couldn't control. But the way the media and the past players came out and attacked me, I could have copped it for two days, but I copped it for about five days straight. And it wasn't even about my performances," Khawaja said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"It was about something very personal, it's about my preparation. And the way everyone came at me about my preparation, it was quite personal in terms of things like, he's not committed to the team, he was only worried about himself, he played this golf comp the day before, he's selfish, he doesn't train hard enough, he didn't train with them the day before the game, he's lazy. These are the same stereotypes, the racial stereotypes I've grown up with my whole life. I just thought that the media and the old players and everyone else had moved past it, but we obviously haven't fully moved past it, because I've never seen anyone been treated like that in the Australian cricket team before," the 39-year-old added.
The 39-year-old Australian cricketer revealed getting frustrated because of facing criticism daily, citing examples of players who have not received the same level of criticism, who play golf and got injured.
ALSO READ: Usman Khawaja To Retire From International Cricket Post Ashes New Year Test In Sydney
"There's still a little bit out there, which I still have to fight every single day, which is the frustrating thing for me," Khawaja said. "I can give you countless number of guys who play golf the day before and have been injured. You guys haven't said a thing. No one else said a thing.
"I can give you even more probably guys who've had 15 schooners the night before and then got injured. No one said a word. That's all right. They're just being Aussie larrikins, right? They're just being lads. So for me, that was the frustrating part. But when I get injured, everyone went at my credibility and who I am as a person," he added.
Inputs from Agency