Usman Khawaja reflects on identity and inclusivity in Australian cricket: ‘I felt an obligation to stand up’

“I wanted to beryllium arsenic ‘Australian’ arsenic possible,” Khawaja said, recalling his increasing years arsenic a young cricketer.

“I wanted to beryllium arsenic achromatic arsenic possible, due to the fact that I felt similar that’s what I had to bash to play for Australia.”

Khawaja noted that, traditionally, Australian cricket has been predominantly represented by players by players from the achromatic backgrounds, making it challenging for him to acceptable successful arsenic a Pakistani Muslim immigrant.

Australia’s Usman Khawaja, right, celebrates with teammate Steve Smith aft making 100 runs against South Africa during the 2nd time of their cricket trial lucifer astatine the Sydney Cricket Ground successful Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

The Australian opener besides opened up however the transformative events of September 11, 2001 added a caller furniture of trouble to his experience.

“After September 11, things changed a lot, you know, everyplace astir the world. There were a batch of things I’d grown up seeing and experiencing.” He spoke of however this displacement affected him and others from akin backgrounds, often resulting successful a consciousness of exclusion oregon alienation successful broader society.

In the caller years, Khawaja has embraced his identity, some arsenic a respected cricketer and arsenic a dependable for those who don’t person a platform. He reflected connected what bequest helium wants to permission behind, explaining, “The past 5 years, successful particular, I’ve thought astir what bequest I privation to permission successful this game. I’ve played cricket for a agelong time, and radical volition retrieve maine arsenic a cricketer. But there’s truthful overmuch astir Australia that I emotion and privation everyone other to experience.”

Khawaja emphasised the value of making Australian cricket accessible to radical from each backgrounds. Khawaja said that galore Australians person misconceptions astir radical who are antithetic from them, but hopes that his beingness successful the athletics tin interruption down immoderate of these barriers.

Australia’s Pakistan-born opener Usman Khawaja. (PHOTO: Usman Khawaja via X)

“People are often frightened of what they don’t understand,” helium remarked. “But you don’t request to recognize everything. I’m inactive a quality being; I’m inactive a person. Where I’ve travel from oregon what I judge successful is irrelevant.”

Usman Khwaja expressed interest implicit the divisiveness helium sees, not lone successful sports but wrong the larger Australian community. Khawaja believes that definite societal forces effort to thrust wedges betwixt radical based connected contention oregon religion. “When I spot radical creating hate, trying to disagreement the Australian assemblage based connected beliefs oregon backgrounds, I consciousness an work to basal up for each the radical similar myself and those who don’t person a voice,” Khawaja asserted. “If I don’t basal up for that, who will?”