Usman Khawaja is the captain of the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League. He represents Australia in Test cricket and plays domestic cricket for Queensland. Khawaja made his first-class debut for New South Wales in 2008 and played his first international match for Australia in January 2011. He played for the Sydney Thunder from 2011 to 2022 and was part of the team that won the 2015–16 Big Bash League title.
He has played county cricket in the United Kingdom and has also had brief stints in the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League. Khawaja captained Queensland in first-class and List A cricket from 2015 to 2024, leading the team to the 2020–21 Sheffield Shield title while batting at number four. He also opened the batting in the 2013–14 Ryobi One-Day Cup final, scoring a century and winning the man of the match award as Queensland won the title.
Usman Khawaja Records and Achievements
Usman Khawaja was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2024. He won the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award in 2023. He also received the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year award in 2023. Khawaja was selected in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year in 2022 and 2023. Earlier in his career, he was named Australian Domestic Player of the Year in 2011.
In international cricket, Usman Khawaja has scored 16 Test centuries and 2 One Day International centuries. In January 2025, he scored his highest Test score of 232 against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium. In March 2019, he scored his highest ODI score of 104 against India at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.
Usman Khawaja’s Career Stats
Usman Khawaja has played 153 Test innings and scored 6,055 runs with 16 centuries and 27 half-centuries. He has hit 645 fours and 28 sixes in Tests. In One Day Internationals, he has batted in 39 innings and scored 1,554 runs, including 2 centuries and 12 fifties, with 150 fours and 13 sixes. In T20 Internationals, he has played 9 innings, scoring 241 runs with one half-century, hitting 31 fours and 5 sixes. As a bowler, Khawaja has played 85 Test matches but has not taken any wickets.
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Inns | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 153 | 6055 | 16 | 27 | 645 | 28 |
| ODIs | 39 | 1554 | 2 | 12 | 150 | 13 |
| T20Is | 9 | 241 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 5 |
| Bowling | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Wkts | BBI | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 85 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 40 | – | – | – | – | – |
| T20Is | 9 | – | – | – | – | – |
Usman Khawaja’s Personal Life
Usman Khawaja was born in Islamabad, Pakistan, to Tariq Khawaja and Fozia Tariq. His family moved to New South Wales when he was four years old. He studied at Westfields Sports High School and later completed a bachelor’s degree in aviation from the University of New South Wales. He is a qualified commercial and instrument-rated pilot and obtained his pilot license before his driving license. He holds dual Australian and Pakistani citizenship.
Usman announced his engagement on 14 December 2016 and married Rachel Khawaja (née McLellan) on 6 April 2018. Rachel converted to Islam before their wedding.
In December 2023, during training for Australia’s first Test against Pakistan, Khawaja wore shoes with the messages “All lives are equal” and “Freedom is a human right” written in the colors of the Palestinian flag. The ICC warned him of sanctions if he continued.
Usman Khawaja’s Contract
Khawaja signed a four-year contract with the Brisbane Heat on 29 June 2022. The deal runs from the BBL|12 season onward. He joined the Heat after being released by the Sydney Thunder earlier in 2022 for family reasons. The move allows him to be based in Brisbane with his wife, Rachel, and their two daughters. Under the contract, Khawaja is part of the Heat’s leadership group and captains the team when available, sharing leadership duties with Jimmy Peirson.
FAQs
Q. Is Usman Khawaja retired?
A. No. Usman Khawaja has not retired and has said he is still committed to playing for Australia.
Q. How many Test centuries does Usman Khawaja have?
A. Khawaja has scored 16 centuries in Test matches.
Q. How old was Usman Khawaja when he came to Australia?
A. Khawaja was four years old when his family moved to Australia.
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