Report: Australia's Usman Khawaja could announce retirement at Ashes

Report: Australia's Usman Khawaja could announce retirement at Ashes

According to The Australian, the 39-year-old veteran is likely to address the media at a news conference before the Sydney Test, potentially bringing clarity to questions surrounding his international career.

Khawaja, Australia's long-standing Test opener and a left-handed batter, began the Ashes series as a key figure at the top of the order. However, his campaign has been disrupted by both form and fitness.

He missed batting in the second innings of the Perth Test due to back spasms, sat out the Brisbane Test entirely, and was initially omitted from the Adelaide Test before being recalled to the side following Steven Smith's illness.

With Smith ruled out, Khawaja was promoted to bat at No. 4 in Adelaide, moving into the middle order alongside Travis Head and Jack Weatherald. His returns were modest, scoring 29 off 52 balls in one innings before being dismissed for a duck off two balls in the other.

Across the ongoing Ashes series, Khawaja has played three matches, batted in five innings, and scored 153 runs at an average of 30.60, with a single half-century coming in the Adelaide Test.

The broader picture over the past two years has also been challenging. Khawaja's Test averages during that period stand at 25.93 and 36.11, reflecting a sustained dip in output.

In 2025, he has scored 614 runs from 18 innings, registering one century and one fifty. His sole hundred this year was a commanding 232 in the first innings of the opening Test against Sri Lanka during Australia's January–February tour.
 

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