Table of Biography
Usman Khawaja is a popular Pakistani-Australian cricketer. Usman Khawaja played his first international game for Australia in January 2011 after making his first-class cricket debut for New South Wales in 2008.
Early Life and Education
Usman Khawaja was born Usman Tariq Khawaja on December 18, 1986, in Islamabad, Pakistan. He is currently 37 years old. He was born to his father Tariq Khawaja and his father Fozia Tariq.
Likewise, he has two siblings brothers named Arsalan Khawaja and Nauman Khawaja. He holds both Australian and Pakistani nationality and follows the Islam religion. According to his birth date, he was born under the zodiac sign Sagittarius.
When he was four years old, his family moved to New South Wales. When he made his cricket debut in the 2010–11 Ashes series, he became the first Australian of Pakistani descent to represent Australia.
Before flying in his first Test, he earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation from the University of New South Wales and is a licensed commercial and instrument-rated pilot. Before receiving his driver’s license, he earned his basic pilot license. He received his education at Westfields Sports High School.
Domestic and T20 Career
Khawaja is a left-handed top-order batsman who was named Player of the Australian Under-19 Championship in 2005. He also represented Australia as an opening batsman in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka.
In 2008, he made his professional debut for the New South Wales Blues. He scored successive double centuries for the NSW Second XI that year, a feat never before accomplished by an NSW player.
Usman Khawaja’s participation in the Australian touring team for a two-match Test series against Pakistan in England was announced by Cricket Australia on June 22, 2010.
Caption: Usman Khawaja was captured in one of his matches
Source: Instagram
Khawaja played for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League from 2011 to February 2022. He scored 345 runs in BBL 2005, ranking second, for an average of 172.50 runs per game. Khawaja committed to playing for Derbyshire during the 2011 English domestic campaign.
He participated in four County Championship games, scoring a century (135) against Kent and batting an average of 39.87. After his time with the county, he played in five more Tests in 2011, making one half-century (65 against South Africa).
After Australia’s home series against New Zealand, he was dropped from the Test squad to make room for Shaun Marsh, who had just returned from injury. Additionally, Khawaja was signed by Lancashire as an international player for the 2014 county season across all formats.
Khawaja made his debut against Durham and scored 86 runs, but it was fruitless as Lancashire fell short by 27 runs. He participates in club cricket for Brisbane’s Valley District Cricket Club. Khawaja was chosen to lead the Queensland cricket team in August 2015, taking over for outgoing captain James Hopes.
More…
He signed a contract with Glamorgan County Cricket Club in April 2018 to participate in the 2018 Vitality Blast competition in England. He was signed by Islamabad United in April 2021 to participate in the postponed Pakistan Super League games. Khawaja chose to end his relationship with the Sydney Thunder in February 2022, citing “family reasons”.
International Career
Khawaja was chosen to play for Australia in the 2010–11 Ashes series along with a 17-man team. Ricky Ponting fractured his finger during the third Test, and Khawaja was selected as a backup in case Ponting did not heal in time.
He was then chosen to play in the fifth Test match between Australia and England on January 3, 2011, in Sydney. Khawaja is the 419th Australian to get an Australian Cricket Test baggy green hat on January 3, 2011.
Khawaja became the eighth foreign-born cricketer to play Test cricket for Australia in the previous 80 years and the first Muslim and Pakistani-born Australian player to do so.
Following a breach of discipline, Australia suspended Khawaja, James Pattinson, Shane Watson, and Mitchell Johnson before the third Test match against India in March 2013. The captain, Michael Clarke, explained that the penalty was decided as a result of Watson’s frequent transgressions, which caused him to fly back home and consider retiring from test play.
A few ex-players expressed surprise at the management of the team’s choice. In the second Test of the 2013 Ashes series, Khawaja replaced Ed Cowan and made his Test comeback. He achieved his first Test century in the first Test against New Zealand on November 5, 2015, his first Test in more than two years, scoring 174 with 16 fours and 2 sixes.
More…
The Australian tour of Pakistan was then chosen to include Khawaja. The Player of the Series award was given to him since he amassed the most runs during the series, 496 runs at an average of 165.33. During the first test, he scored 97 runs in the first innings. The second test was his next, and he scored 44* runs in the second inning after scoring 160 runs in the first.
He reached 4,000 Test runs in the third Test against South Africa in January 2023, scoring 195 runs, a career-high. At the Allan Border Medal ceremony, Khawaja defeated Travis Head and Steve Smith to win the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year award, capping up his comeback to international cricket. On the same occasion, Khawaja received the Community Impact Award as well.
International Centuries
Khawaja has two one-day international hundreds and 14 test-match centuries. His top ODI score of 104 came against India at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi in March 2019, while his highest Test score of 195* came against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2023.
Relationship Status
Usman is a straight-gender person. As for his marital status, he is a married man. He announced his engagement with Rachel McLellan on December 14, 2016, through his Facebook account.
They tied the knot on April 6, 2018. Rachel changed her religion to Islam after their wedding. The couple is blessed with two kids named Aisha Rahil Khwaja, and Ayla Fozia Mishel.
Caption: Usman Khawaja with his wife and kids
Source: Instagram
Usman Khawaja – Net Worth 2024
Usman Khawaja is one of the highest-paid cricketers. He has earned a hefty amount of money throughout his career. He has a net worth of $5 million as of 2024. But he hasn’t shared his salary and other asset values.
Controversies
Due to their breach of discipline (failing to give the coach a presentation on how to enhance the team’s performance) during the 2012–13 Border–Gavaskar Trophy, the Australia cricket board suspended him along with James Pattinson, Shane Watson, and Mitchell Johnson.
Social Media
Talking about his social media presence, Usman Khawaja is active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. His official Facebook account ‘Usman Khawaja’ has gained more than 1.7 million followers.
Likewise, his Instagram account ‘@usman_khawajy’ has more than 607K followers and has shared 983 posts as of April 2023. Similarly, he joined Twitter in November 2010 and has more than 296.1K followers on his account ‘@Uz_Khawaja’.
Usman Khawaja – Body Measurements
Coming to his physical stats, he has a well-maintained body personality. Usman Khawaja stands at a height of 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 73kg. However, there are no details about his body size, dress size, waist size, shoe size, and so on. He has a pair of black eyes with black colored hair.
Caption: Usman Khawaja posing for a photo
Source: Instagram