Thanks for the memories, Ussie! - Usman Khawaja retires from cricket
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | August 06, 2026
Season 2025-26 brought to an end the Australia cricket playing career of Usman Khawaja–one of Randwick Petersham’s favourite sons. After 88 Test matches, 40 ODIs and 9 T20s for his country, Usman walked off the Sydney Cricket Ground after the 5th Test v England for the last time. Fittingly, it was the same ground against the same opposition where it all began for the then 24-year-old, 15 years ago on 3 January 2011. In that time, Ussie built an enviable record of 6,229 runs with 16 centuries in Test Cricket; 1,554 in One Day Internationals and 241 in Twenty20 matches.
Ussie played his junior cricket with the Sydney Coastal club in the South Eastern Junior Cricket Association before joining Randwick Petersham’s A W Green Shield team of 2002-03, which he captained. He was the dominant player in that side, going on to win selection in the Combined Green Shield team. He also made his grade debut in 4th Grade. The following season he played the first seven matches in 2nd Grade scoring 389 runs before making his 1st Grade debut at the age of 16 years 325 days to be at that time, the club’s youngest 1st grader.
Over the following nine seasons, Usman scored 4,869 runs with 14 centuries. He scored his maiden 1st Grade century in just the third round of the following 2004-05 season, hitting 120 against North Sydney at North Sydney Oval. He followed up with 102 v Mosman in 2005-06 and 115* playing Blacktown in 2006-07. He was dynamic in the field that season, holding 14 catches.
The summer of 2007-08 belonged to Usman Khawaja. His 1,134 runs with five centuries and three fifties set a new run-getting record for the club, while his tally was the best in the whole of Sydney 1st Grade Cricket. He also shared a new third wicket partnership record with Simon Katich when the pair put on 188 in the qualifying final against eventual premiers, St George, at Hurstville Oval. His batting dominance, together with being the first NSW player to hit successive double centuries in Second XI cricket, won him a spot in the NSW team. He made his first-class debut against Victoria at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 15 February 2008, being run out for 85. His performances that season also helped Randwick Petersham take out the coveted Club Championship for the first time.
In 2009 at 23 years of age, Khawaja was installed as 1st Grade captain. Apart from scoring three centuries that season, he scored 189 against Fairfield-Liverpool at Coogee to break Simon Katich’s highest score record of 177.
Over the following two seasons, first-class cricket commitments restricted Usman’s availability for the club although in 2011-12 he found time to knock up 128 against University of NSW. As it turned out, that was his last century for the club as at the end of the season he announced he had accepted a contract to play for Queensland. His move north followed his Test match debut and after having played 49 matches for NSW, scoring 2,838 runs with 9 centuries and 11 fifties. His highest score was 214 against South Australia in 2010-11. He also scored three centuries and two fifties in 17 one-day matches while playing 18 Twenty20 games.
Over the six years which followed, Usman found himself in and out of the Australian side, being dropped six times in playing his first 24 Tests. After being dropped for a seventh time after a poor England tour in 2019, he was called up to replace the COVID-infected Travis Head for the 5th Test against England at the SCG in January 2022. It is now history that the determined left-hand opening bat peeled off centuries in each innings (137 and 101*)–just the sixth Australian to achieve that feat. Two months later he knocked up 160 and 104* against Pakistan on their turf. In the four years leading up to his retirement in January 2026, Usman Khawaja scored more Test runs than any other Australian. His record placed him 14th on the list of Australia’s greatest run-scorers.
Randwick Petersham supporters who had followed Ussie’s career with great interest and enjoyment, received a “double dose” in his later playing years when he teamed up with junior cricket buddy and fellow Randwick Petersham club-mate, David Warner. It was history in the making In March 2022 when the pair opened the batting in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The occasion was the 1st Test between Australia and Pakistan–the first in that country for 20 years. And they supported their selection at the top of the order with a partnership of 156. David scored 68 while Ussie made 97–one of four 90s for him in Test Cricket and his third 97.
Opening the batting in the 1st Pakistan Test match, was not however, the first time they had performed that task for Australia. That occasion was in a One-Day International against New Zealand in Wellington in February 2016. The pair put on 122 in 16 overs for the first wicket, enabling Australia to chase down a target of 281 in 46.3 overs. Warner made 98 and Ussie 50. And while they were two of the most dynamic left-hand bats in world cricket, it was an amazing transformation as in their junior playing days they were both right-hand opening bowlers!
To emphasize his achievements in the latter part of his career, in 2023 Usman was named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year and the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year. And the following 2024, he was named as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year.
Apart from his brilliant Australian playing record, Ussie retired with some outstanding first-class cricket figures. He scored 15,589 runs across 229 matches at the impressive average of 43.18 hitting a massive 43 centuries and 74 half-centuries. In 133 Limited Overs matches, he scored 5,494 runs at 45.03 with 14 100s and 32 50s. And in Twenty20 cricket he totalled 3,475 runs from 124 matches at an average of 30.48 and a strike rate of 131.52. He also hit three centuries and 18 50s.
What a remarkable journey it has been for Usman Khawaja. From under 16 A W Green Shield at Coogee Oval to 88 Test matches for Australia on the World Stage of Cricket. His ambition, determination and toughness enabled him to overcome many obstacles on the way to becoming one of Australia’s most valued and best performed cricketers of the modern era. A career to be proud off. Thanks for the memories, Ussie. Randwick Petersham salutes you.
Lyall Gardner OAM
