Ashes 2025: 6 Reasons Why Usman Khawaja Should Consider Retiring After SCG Test

Uncertainty surrounds Usman Khawaja’s Test future ahead of the final Ashes 2025 match at the SCG. With his career at a crossroads, the Sydney Test could mark a defining moment as the veteran batter weighs his next step in the longest format.

Uncertainty over Usman Khawaja's Test Future

Ahead of the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025 series, uncertainty looms over veteran Australian batter Usman Khawaja’s future in Test cricket. The Ashes series finale will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which is Khawaja’s home ground, on Sunday, January 4.

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that Usman Khawaja will feature in the playing XI for the SCG Test, but there were no hints from the veteran Australian batter about drawing curtains down on his illustrious career. Though Khawaja has not indicated any plans for immediate retirement, speculations have taken centre stage ahead of what could be a significant Test match in his career.

As Usman Khawaja is yet to confirm his future in international cricket, let’s take a look at six reasons why the veteran Australian batter should bid adieu after the SCG Test.

1. Farewell Match at His Home Ground

The Sydney Cricket Ground has been Usman Khawaja’s home ground, where he played his domestic cricket for New South Wales before moving to Queensland, and where he has represented Australia in Tests and ODIs. Since the final Ashes 2025 Test is taking place in Sydney, it could be an ideal call for the veteran batter to bow out in front of his home crowd and end his Test career on a high and emotional note.

Khawaja has played nine Test matches at SCG and amassed 875 runs, including 4 centuries and a fifty, at an average of 50.28. Given his impressive Test on his home soil, Usman Khawaja's retirement from the Sydney Cricket Ground would allow him to sign off on a venue where he enjoyed some of the finest moments of his career in the longest format of the game.

2. Age and Physical Demands of Test Cricket

Usman Khawaja is currently 39 and is the oldest player in the Australian squad for the ongoing Ashes series. Though the veteran batter has been Australia’s mainstay for years, the physical demands of Test cricket, running between wickets, fielding for longer periods, and facing top-quality pace attacks, will be challenging. Ahead of the third Ashes Test, Khawaja stated that he trains hard to stay fit and competitive.

However, given his age, his body requires more time to cover, and sustaining performance across long Test matches would become increasingly challenging. It is uncertain how Khawaja’s body will hold up as he continues to play prolonged spells in Test cricket at the highest level. Therefore, the question of timing his retirement from Test cricket becomes increasingly relevant at this stage of his career.

3. Decline in Form

One of the key reasons why it is ideal for Usman Khawaja to retire from Test cricket after the Ashes series finale is that his form has not been at its best. There has been a decline in his consistency throughout 2025. He started the year with a double century against Sri Lanka in January, but it took 11 months to score a fifty, which was in the third Test of the Ashes series. There was a significant gap between his early-season brilliance and later performances, highlighting a worrying dip in form.

In 2025, Khawaja aggregated 614 runs, including a double century and a fifty, at an average of 36.11 in 11 matches. Across two calendar years, 2024 and 2025, Usman Khawaja aggregated 1029 runs, including a double century and 3 fifties, at an average of 31.18 in 18 matches. This highlights a clear dip in consistency for a senior opener, making retirement after the Ashes series a timely decision to bow out on his own terms.

4. Gracious Exit Rather Than Getting Axed

Back in 2019, Usman Khawaja was dropped from Australia’s Test side during the Ashes series in England after a string of poor scores in the first three matches, and made way for Steve Smith’s return from concussion, while Marnus Labuschagne retained his place in the team. This episode underlined how swiftly selection dynamics can shift at the highest level. Khawaja has since rebuilt his Test career, but that experience remains a reminder of how quickly circumstances can change, even for senior and established players.

In the ongoing Ashes series, Usman Khawaja has aggregated 153 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 30.06 in five innings across three matches, reflecting a mixed return in a closely contested series. Even if Khawaja makes a statement in the Sydney Test, the veteran batter may still have to weigh on finishing on his terms rather than risking gradual decline. Moreover, with Australia having already secured the Ashes series, there could not be a better moment than a dignified farewell on his home soil, liberating himself from external pressure or selection uncertainty.

5. Selectors’ Likelihood to Back Travis Head as a Long-Term Opener

After Usman Khawaja was ruled out of the second innings of the Perth opener due to a back spasm, Travis Head was promoted as an opener and batted alongside debutant Jake Weatherald at the top. Since then, Head has consistently performed well, scoring two centuries and delivering key innings, boosting the selectors' and team management’s confidence in him as a potential long-term opener.

When Khawaja returned for the third and fourth Tests of the Ashes series, Travis Head was retained as the opener, with veteran Australian batter was slotted to No.4 in the batting order. With Head firmly established at the top order, Usman Khawaja may get limited opportunities to resume his preferred role, making the Sydney Test an ideal moment to call time on his international career.

6. Significant Gap Before Australia’s Next Test Match

The upcoming fifth and final Test of the series will conclude on January 8, and Australia’s next Test match will be against Bangladesh in August 2026. So, there is a long gap of seven months before Australia returns to Test cricket, and during that period, the selectors and team management might look for fresh blood, especially youngsters, by monitoring their performances in the ongoing Sheffield Shield.

With more than seven months' gap between the Ashes series conclusion and Australia’s next Test assignment, the selectors are likely to shift their focus towards younger options, who might be waiting in the wings for a national call-up. At this stage of his career, the extended break further strengthens the case for Khawaja to retire after the SCG Test, allowing Australia to plan a smooth transition while he signs off on his own terms.