Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes veteran opener Usman Khawaja could be nearing the end of his international career, with the upcoming Sydney Test potentially marking his final appearance for Australia.
Khawaja has endured a challenging 2025 in Test cricket, managing 614 runs from 10 matches at an average of 36.11, with one century and one half-century. His standout performance came in January against Sri Lanka, where he scored 232, but it wasn’t until the Adelaide Test against England earlier this month that he registered another score above fifty.
With questions mounting over the 39-year-old’s future, Clarke suggested that the SCG Test could be Khawaja’s farewell outing. The former skipper stressed that Khawaja’s selection is based on merit, not sentiment, and hopes the left-hander can sign off with a memorable knock in front of his home crowd.
“I think this will be Usman’s farewell Test match,” Clarke told Code Sports on Tuesday. “It’s not a token selection if you pick him for Melbourne, you pick him for Sydney too. But I do think he’ll retire after this Test.
“Australia will win the series. Hopefully, he goes out with a big score. I’d love to see Uz make a hundred at the SCG and walk away on a high. Not many players get that opportunity.”
However, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald played down the retirement talk, insisting there has been no indication from Khawaja himself about stepping away from the game.
“The speculation has come from outside,” McDonald said. “He’s with his family at the moment, having a couple of days off. We’re always having conversations with players about where they’re at, and there’s been no sign from my end that he’s calling it quits in Sydney.”
The fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025–26 series is set to begin on January 4, 2026, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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