'England Have Been Questioned About Their Prep Too': Australia Great Reacts To Usman Khawaja's Claims Of Criticism With Racial Undertones

Australian southpaw Usman Khawaja announced his retirement on January 2, 2026, much ahead of the fifth and the final Ashes Test match that will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The 39-year-old made his debut for Australia back in 2011 on the very same venue. Australia have already won the Ashes, and they have taken an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the series. The match is nothing but a dead rubber as far as Australia are concerned, but for England they'll want to secure a victory at the SCG at all cost.

The Sydney Test will mark the end of Usman Khawaja's 15-year-long career with the Australian cricket team. More than the announcement of his retirement, it was Usman Khawaja addressing the issue of racial undertones that hogged the limelight.

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Jason Gillespie Gives His Verdict On Usman Khawaja's Claims

Usman Khawaja, while announcing his retirement, said that throughout his career he felt as if he was being singled out. Khawaja also said that he was unfairly criticized and called out for his preparation for the ongoing 2025-26 edition of The Ashes. The Australian southpaw was scrutinized heavily for participating in a golf tournament shortly before the Perth Test.

'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 the day before the game, he's lazy',' said Khawaja while announcing his retirement.

Ex-Australia pacer Jason Gillespie, while addressing the matter, said that the questions were legitimate and even English players were questioned leading into the tournament. Khawaja had said that he continued to battle stereotypes throughout his career.

ALSO READ | Usman Khawaja Highlights 'Racial Overtones' In His Criticism While Announcing Retirement

Dissecting Usman Khawaja's Ashes 2025-26 Performance

The left-handed batter has performed decently in the ongoing 2025-26 season of The Ashes. Khawaja has played three matches in the ongoing tournament and has scored 153 runs at an average of 30.60. Khawaja has also hit 16 fours in the ongoing tournament.