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Former Australian batter Usman Khawaja has played his last first-class. The news became clear on Sunday after Queensland failed to qualify for the Sheffield Shield final.

 

The Queensland team is in Hobart for their match against Tasmania but Khawaja is not playing in the game. The veteran batter has no further chances to play in the competition because the team has already been eliminated from the title contest.

 

The first innings saw Tasmania get bowled out for 198 runs. The Queensland team needed to take the lead but their batting lineup could not perform well enough. On the second day, they finished with a total of 178 runs. The team faced difficulties at stumps on Saturday because they reached 48 runs at the cost of three wickets.

 

Queensland lost their opportunity to play in the March 26 final after this match result.

 

Missed match due to family reason

 

Khawaja was not available for the Tasmania match because he was present for the birth of his child. He would have been available to play in the final match if Queensland had advanced to that stage.

 

The player has completed his first-class career because his team has been eliminated from the competition.

 

Khawaja announced his retirement from Test cricket during January of this year before the fifth Ashes Test. Throughout that match, he contributed to Australia's 4-1 series victory.

 

The crowd in Sydney showed their respect to him by giving him applause during his last Test innings. English players formed a guard of honour for him as he walked out to bat.

 

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Khawaja's moving retirement speech

 

Before the final Test, Khawaja delivered an emotional speech about his journey in cricket.

 

Usman Khawaja said:

 

"God, through cricket, has given me far more than I ever imagined. He's given me memories I'll carry forever, friendships that go well beyond the game and lessons that shaped me into who I am off the field. Along the way, I've learned that not everything in life is in our control. I train my best, but then it's all up to Allah, and Allah is the best of planners. If he wasn't, I wouldn't be here right now".

 

He Added:

 

"This game humbles you. It tests your patience, your resilience and your character, and if you're lucky, it teaches you gratitude, even on days that doesn't go your way. Alhamdulillah, always."

 

A long and successful first-class career

 

Khawaja began his first-class journey 18 years ago while playing for New South Wales. He began a new chapter when he relocated to Queenslandin 2012. His move to Australia proved successful for him as he transformed into one of the top-performing batters in Australian domestic cricket.

 

The 39-year-old cricketer has played 229 first-class matches and scored more than 15,000 runs. He also hit 43 centuries in the format. He played 88 Test matches for Australia and scored over 6,000 runs including 16 centuries.

 

Khawaja's professional results in first-class cricket leave behind a solid record together with numerous memories that define his extended career.