Usman Khawaja bows out of First-Class cricket: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja's First-Class career officially came to end, following Queensland's failure to qualify for the ongoing Sheffield Shield final. The batsman with Pakistani roots missed the game against Tasmania in Hobart due to the birth of his child. Despite dismissing Tasmania for a mere 198 runs, Queensland faltered with their batting performance and were bowled out for just 178 runs on day two of the match.
Missed opportunity
Khawaja's absence costs Queensland
Khawaja's absence from the match meant he couldn't help Queensland secure bonus points. He would have been available for the final scheduled on March 26, but his team's failure to qualify has ended his FC career. Earlier this year, in January, Khawaja had announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the fifth Ashes Test. He was part of Australia's dominant 4-1 series victory.
Career highlights
A look at his illustrious First-Class career
Khawaja started his FC career 18 years ago with New South Wales. He later moved to Queensland in 2012 to rejuvenate his career. The 39-year-old played a total of 229 First-Class matches, scoring 15,589 runs at an average of 43.18. The veteran tallied 43 tons and 74 half-centuries. His best FC score of 232 came in an away Test against Sri Lanka last year.
Tests
15th-highest run-getter for Australia in Tests
Khawaja ended his Test career as the 15th-highest run-getter for Australia. He played 88 matches since his debut in 2011 and scored 6,229 runs from 159 innings at 42.95. He hit 16 tons and 28 fifties. Notably, Khawaja made a surprise comeback in Australia's Test team in January 2022, having played his previous international game in August 2019. He scored not one but two sensational tons in his comeback game, earning a permanent place in the XI.