A heartfelt farewell to end one of the most meaningful careers in Australian cricket

2 months ago 20

Bowled through the gate by off-spin, a form of bowling about which he has been brutally sceptical, Steve Smith shook himself out of his bubble of disbelief in time to clap the batsman coming onto the Sydney Cricket Ground to replace him.

It was 1.24pm and Usman Khawaja was on the arena.

Australia were 3-92 and yet to stumble into the pit of panic from which, eventually, they would crawl out triumphantly. Khawaja blinked away the sunlight and walked across the stencil in front of the Members Stand that said: “Thanks Uzzy #419”.

The English players formed a generous guard of honour. The umpires, Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney, broke character and probably some convention of impartiality to applaud Khawaja to the centre square, where Marnus Labuschagne was waiting with a hug.

Khawaja had found it tough to concentrate in his first innings, and he later spoke of how difficult it was to maintain focus throughout this match. His daughter had said to him on Thursday morning that she was happy she would be able to spend more time with him from now on (she’s not a teenager yet.) She was living in the joyous moment, but her father was struggling.

Taking guard at the Paddington End, Khawaja blocked out his first ball from Will Jacks and watched Labuschagne play out an over from Josh Tongue. Outwardly, Khawaja seemed relaxed, dragging the toe of his bat as he strolled down the pitch for a chat.

Usman Khawaja leaves the SCG in his final Test.

He got off the mark with a nice paddle-sweep off Jacks for four, but the nerves showed a few balls later when he checked another sweep and popped the ball inelegantly to a vacant silly mid-on.

Then there was a nick that, had Ben Stokes not been lame, the England captain might have caught right-handed at slip. Khawaja jogged through for what would be the last two of his 6229 Test match runs.

For the next 10 minutes, he was a spectator as Labuschagne monopolised the strike. Labuschagne slashed Tongue to gully where Jacob Bethell dropped England’s 15th chance of the series, one that, if taken, might have ruined Khawaja’s stated wish for the day, which was only to win.

Having stolen a single to stay on strike, Labuschagne then thrashed Jacks out of the attack with 16 runs, another of the micro-turns that kept Australia on pace with their target.

England players form a guard of honour for Usman Khawaja.

Khawaja would play no further part, however. Surprised by the bounce from Tongue angling in from around the wicket, he chopped his next ball down onto his stumps. There was a moment of shocked silence but, as when he had missed a full toss in the first innings, it showed that Khawaja was timing his retirement perfectly.

A 20-minute innings of six runs doesn’t usually get a standing ovation, but this was the end of one of the most meaning-rich 15-year careers in Australian cricket.

Khawaja received a handshake from Joe Root, another hug from Labuschagne and a pat from the incoming Alex Carey. He pointed his bat and blew a kiss to his family in the stands. He dropped to his knees in a prayerful kiss to the SCG turf that had raised, nurtured and frequently rewarded him.

Usman Khawaja relaxes wife Rachel and daughters Aisha and Ayla after his Test career ended on Thursday at the SCG.

Later he said: “A lot of times in life we worry about what we want – we always want more. It’s all about what else do we have, what else do we want?”

His thoughts as he kissed the turf were, “For one last time to be thankful for what I’ve been given”.

Few players are as warmly liked throughout the international cricket community, and fewer still have crossed so many barriers and borders. When he re-entered the field later, the match having been won, Khawaja received heartfelt handshakes from every England player.

He had a long conversation with umpire Raza. Carey had saved him one of the pink stumps from the match. Then it was off for the interviews and celebrations and the beginning of the rest of his life.

“Thank you,” he said to one and all. It’s mutual.