WTC Final: Khawaja speaks on challenge of trying to fit in within the Australian setup

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has said that trying to fit in the national team was his “biggest challenge” throughout his career but he now gets to be himself more as the team’s complexion has changed over the years.

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Khawaja who made his Test debut in 2011 is the first Pakistan-born cricketer to play Test cricket for Australia.

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“I definitely get to be myself more now. Two things. One, I don’t give a crap because I am older and I am at the backend of my career so I can do what I want. Two, these boys that I am playing with are guys that I grew up playing with. I grew up playing with a lot of them, playing for New South Wales,” Khawaja told ICC.

“Starcy (Mitchell Starc), (Pat) Cummins, (Josh) Hazlewood, (Steve) Smith and (David) Warner – all of these guys I grew up playing with so it makes it a lot easier to be myself. Even when I came into Australian cricket I was the young fella from a sub-continent background coming into a very white Australian cricket team.

“I found it very tough to fit into the mould. And there was a mould for Australian cricket at that time and that mould is not really there anymore.”

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“Hopefully, slowly, I can be the first of many Usman Khawaja’s – both male and female – who come into the system who aren’t born in Australia and traditionally aren’t white Anglo Saxons,” he said.

“That is the reason I feel most comfortable now. One because I am a little older and comfortable with myself, but two also the guys in the team and around me make me feel more comfortable than I have ever been.”

Khawaja elaborated further that challenge for him always was “about fitting in and feeling like I can be myself in the Australian cricket team” and that was a big hurdle.

“The biggest challenge for me throughout my career playing for Australia has been fitting in. For me it is always about fitting in and feeling like I can be myself in the Australian cricket team and that has taken a little bit of time.

“A little bit of that is earning the respect of my teammates by scoring runs and performing on the field, and the other side is me being myself and comfortable in my own skin.”

“To do what I want and for the guys in the team to understand and respect who I am as a person. That always takes a certain time when you are trying to change certain structural things around Australian cricket and for me, that has been my biggest hurdle.

“But at the same time, it is something that I am most proud of achieving because I am the first cricketer to be born in Pakistan or to come from a sub-continent background to represent the Australian cricket team.

“And I am one of few coloured cricketers to ever represent Australia, so it is very proud for me.”

Khawaja has scored 4495 runs from 60 Tests and will be playing for Australia in the WTC 2023 final against India.

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