Ashes: Michael Vaughan urges Usman Khawaja to quit Test cricket on terms ahead of Sydney clash

Former England captain and commentator Michael Vaughan has urged Usman Khawaja to hang up his boots ahead of the final Ashes Test in Sydney. As the final Test of another intense Ashes series gets closer, Khawaja, now in the twilight of his career, is struggling for form. According to Vaughan, Sydney Test is the right time to announce retirement from the red-ball format and if he does not do he could be forced out of the squad.

Khawaja to retire after Sydney Test?

“I would say to Usman, ‘Don’t let them decide. You decide your destiny.’ When someone has been playing for so long, we’ve just got to let them decide. Usman has had an incredible career and not many get the chance to say goodbye on their own terms at their own venue,” Vaughan said, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Now 39, Khawaja has been instrumental to Australia’s success in the Test format in recent years and has served the nation well. Although Khawaja scored 82 in the Adelaide Test, he has been under the radar in recent times and was dropped for the Brisbane Test. However, with injuries plaguing the Australian side, Khawaja was brought back into the side.

Over the years, Khawaja has played in 87 Test matches, smashing 6206 runs with a best of 232. He has also played in the ODI and T20I formats with 40 and 9 matches, respectively.

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Will Australia start 2026 on winning note?

Australia lead the five-match Ashes 3-1 and could start the calendar year on a high with a win. Australia’s fixture at the SCG will be their final red-ball match before they prepare for the T20 World Cup. Steve Smith will once again lead the side in Pat Cummins’s absence, who has been picked for the T20 World Cup 2026.