Overview:
Khawaja came under scrutiny from both fans and the media for participating in a golf tournament just before the match.
Ex-Australia pacer Jason Gillespie questioned Usman Khawaja’s allegations of racial bias during his farewell press briefing. Usman Khawaja has declared that the SCG clash with England from January 4 will be his last outing in international cricket.
During an extended session with the media, Khawaja opened up about feeling constantly under the microscope for factors beyond his on-field performance. He explained that, from the start of his career to now, certain parts of the media and cricket community have singled him out because of his background and his outspoken opinions on issues like right-wing politics and the Palestinian cause. He also highlighted the unfair criticism he faced after being unable to open the batting in the Perth Test due to back spasms.
Khawaja came under scrutiny from both fans and the media for participating in a golf tournament just before the match. Gillespie, replying on X, defended the line of questioning, noting it was reasonable and reminding everyone that England had also been questioned about their Ashes preparation.
“I respect Usman and have really enjoyed his career, love how he speaks his mind. I felt the questions re his preparation before Perth (where he played a lot of golf and ended up with back spasms) were legitimate. England have been questioned about their prep too,” a former pacer posted on X.
I respect Usman and have really enjoyed his career, love how he speaks his mind.
I felt the questions re his preparation before Perth (where he played a lot of golf and ended up with back spasms) were legitimate. England have been questioned about their prep too.@stillnotoutpod https://t.co/rlHKP9GwbU— Jason Gillespie (@dizzy259) January 2, 2026
Khawaja said he found the media’s criticism deeply personal and admitted that it caused him significant hurt.
“It wasn’t aimed at you personally, but the way the media and former players came after me was intense. I could have handled it for a couple of days, but it went on for nearly five days straight. And it wasn’t even about my performance as it was something very personal.”
“It wasn’t about my performance, and it was about how I prepared. The criticism I received felt very personal. People said things like: he’s not committed to the team, he only thinks about himself, he played a golf tournament the day before, so he’s selfish, he doesn’t put in enough effort, he skipped training the day before the match, he’s lazy.”
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