WTC Final, IND vs AUS: Khawaja reveals 'fitting in' the Australian side has been biggest challenge
Ahead of the WTC Final between India and Australia, Usman Khawaja opens up about the difficulties he encountered in fitting in and feeling comfortable within the Australian cricket team.
FollowAustralian Test opener Usman Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan, believes that the greatest challenge he has faced throughout his career playing for Australia is finding his place in the national team while staying true to himself and earning the respect of his teammates through his on-field performances.
Khawaja, who made his Test debut in 2011, spoke about the difficulties he encountered in fitting in and feeling comfortable within the Australian cricket team
"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," Khawaja told the ICC.
"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."
The Aussie opener acknowledged that as he has gotten older and more experienced and feels more comfortable being himself. He also mentions that the presence of teammates he grew up playing with, such as Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith, and David Warner, has made it easier for him
"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."
"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.
"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."
Usman Khawaja is part of the Australian squad and will play a key role in the World Test Championship final against India, starting on the 7th of June 2023.
