"Lot of people telling me how I should go" - Usman Khawaja hits back at former Australia captain during SL vs AUS 2025 1st Test

Veteran Australia batter Usman Khawaja has made a massive statement with a sublime hundred in the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Questions were raised regarding the opener's place in the side after a poor Border-Gavaskar 2024-25 series against India. Former players suggested the 38-year-old should call it a day amid the rise of emerging top-order batters, along with Australia's transition and long-term planning

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke felt the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) could be the perfect farewell for the opener. Clarke believed Khawaja's desire to go on until the next Ashes was an unrealistic prospect.

"This is Uzzie's home Test match, the SCG. He has been an amazing player, absolute amazing player. Come back in, score runs overseas, score runs in Australia. He's 38 years of age, I think it could be a great opportunity for Uzzie to announce his retirement, and Sydney be his last Test," Clarke had said on 'Beyond 23' podcast earlier this month (via Indian Express).

Khawaja retained his place in the squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka and made the most of it by notching up his 16th Test hundred in difficult conditions. The veteran acknowledged that he had a tough home season after finishing the five-match series against India with 184 runs at an average of 20.44.

“It’s been a tough summer, and I think I finished the summer off really well, but had a lot of people telling me how I should go by my career and what I should do from here on in. When I finish this game, I've got beautiful kids and a family. I'm pretty chill with everything, but it's nice to get 100 after the summer because it was a tough time," Khawaja said after play (via Yahoo Sports).

Khawaja was unbeaten on 147 runs at Stumps on Day 1 (January 29). Australia are comfortably placed at 330-2, with Steve Smith also scoring a hundred from the other end.

"I'm not here for anyone but the team" - Usman Khawaja

The ongoing series against Sri Lanka marks the final series of the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. As far as the longest format is concerned, the Men in Yellow will play the WTC final against South Africa, tour the West Indies, and host England for the next edition of The Ashes this year.

Usman Khawaja shared what Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald told him.

"I'm not here for anyone but the team. Andrew McDonald, one thing last year he said to me, 'I don't care what happens, just make sure you're on the Sri Lankan tour.' I'm not just playing cricket because I've got a gluttony to score lots of runs. Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen hundreds is not going to make a difference to my life," Khawaja added in the same interview.

Khawaja has been brilliant since his comeback in the 2021-22 Ashes. His promotion as opener ended up being a game-changer for both him and the Australian red-ball side.