Michael Vaughan Gives Usman Khawaja Retirement Advice

Australian media outlets like the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Usman Khawaja may retire after the upcoming Sydney Test against England.

Michael Vaughan Gives Usman Khawaja Retirement Advice

Michael Vaughan urged Usman Khawaj to retire, following the Sydney Test. (via ABC News)

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It could be the end of the road for Usman Khawaja, given the recent turn of events in his red-ball career and the doubts arising over his future. More surprisingly, former England captain Michael Vaughan, ahead of the final Ashes Test, publicly suggested that the Australian consider retirement. 

Even though the 2025-26 Ashes series has gone Australia’s way, with the world no.1-ranked Test side having secured the series in just 11 days, Usman Khawaja has been enduring a noticeably difficult and challenging phase. The veteran Aussie batter, with over 6,000 Test runs, has struggled to find his rhythm n the current series. His poor form even led to his exclusion from the playing XI for the second Test.

Khawaja has not been in great touch over the past few years, having scored 1,029 runs in his last 36 Test innings at a poor average of 31.18, including only a hundred and three fifties. His form has taken a hit, since he was named the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2023.

Khawaja has now dropped to 22nd place on the Test Batting Rankings, and his role within the team has been reduced, with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald forging a new opening partnership. 

In the ongoing Ashes, Khawaja’s struggles were compounded by visible physical decline, including back spasms in the series opener that prevented him from fulfilling his opening and fielding duties. While the left-hander himself has remained silent on his future with the series finale looming, prominent figures like Michael Vaughan and Michael Clarke have publicly urged him to retire.

Michael Vaughan proposed that Khawaja should announce his retirement following the Sydney Test, allowing him to finish his career on his own terms at his home ground. While Vaughan commended the veteran’s impressive career longevity, the ex-England captain cautioned that if Khawaja does not step down voluntarily, he risks being forced out of the squad, a process that would be emotionally disturbing. He told the Sydney Morning Herald:

I would say to Usman [Khawaja], ‘Don’t let them decide. You decide your destiny.’ Usman has had an incredible career and not many get the chance to say goodbye on their own terms at their own venue.

Thereafter, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for Khawaja at the SCG, given it was the very same venue where he made his international debut in 2011. The 39-year-old is also expected to address speculation regarding his future, at the pre-match press conference before the Sydney clash. 

Usman Khawaja’s career over the years 

Born in Pakistan, Usman Khawaja’s journey to the top of Australian cricket has been an inspiring one. With rumors rife that the left-hander might soon announce his retirement from international cricket, it is important to take a look back at his career over the years. 

Usman Khawaja career
Usman Khawaja has enjoyed a decade-long career with the Australian team. (via India Today)

After shining for the Australian under-19 side at the 2006 U-19 World Cup, Khawaja went on to make his first-class debut for New South Wales in 2008. He has since then featured in 200 first-class matches, scoring over 15,000 runs. He made his Test debut in 2011 during the Ashes, replacing the injured Ricky Ponting in the playing XI, and scored 37 and 21 across both innings of the fifth Test of the series.

Khawaja boasts 6,206 runs in the longest format internationally, including 16 hundreds and 28 half-centuries, at an average of 43.39. He played ODIs sporadically between 2013 and 2019, and was also a part of the Australian squad at the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup. In 40 ODI matches throughout his career, the veteran batter has scored 1,554 runs at a decent average of 42, hitting two hundreds and 12 fifties. 

Khawaja has been a regular in the Big Bash League since 2011, having played for Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat. In 70 BBL matches, he has scored 2,132 runs at an average of 33.31 and a strike-rate of 131.84, including 12 fifties and two hundreds. 

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