Top-order batsman Usman Khawaja is working with Cricket Australia to make sure extra South Asian illustration in his adopted nation’s cricketing ecosystem, a few decade after changing into the first Muslim cricketer to put on the coveted dishevelled inexperienced following a brush with racism. Khawaja, who made his worldwide debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2011, revealed that he was by no means supported by the native residents due to his skin color, including that he was discouraged from enjoying cricket in the first place.
The 34-year-old made stunning revelations about dealing with racism in his adopted nation after he shifted to Australia from Pakistan in the early Nineties.
“When I was younger in Australia, the amount of time I got told I was never going to play for Australia, I’m not the right skin colour was immense. I’d get told I don’t fit the team, and they wouldn’t pick me. That was the mentality, but now it’s starting to shift,” Khawaja told ESPNCricinfo.
The top-order batter turned the first Muslim and the first participant of Pakistani descent to signify Australia. Khawaja has typically spoken about the challenges he has confronted in his quest to play top-level cricket in Australia.
“When I started being more involved in cricket, people with subcontinent heritage in Australia came up to me and said, “we’re so happy to see you at the top. Seeing someone like you, we feel we’ve got a part in the Australian team, and we support the Australian team. We didn’t do it before, and we do it now,” stated Khawaja.
Khawaja has typically spoken about the challenges he has confronted in his quest to play top-level cricket in Australia. He was born in Islamabad earlier than transferring to Australia together with his household when he was 5. “It is a lot better now,” Khawaja stated.
“I see much more cricketers arising by means of state ranges in Australia in explicit which are from subcontinent backgrounds, which we actually did not see after I got here up, even after I performed.”
