Pakistan-based Australian opener Usman Khawaja has recently recalled the time when he had to experience racial profiling by security personnel in Australia despite wearing the Australian kit. In response to a tweet highlighting racial profiling by an Indian journalist in Australia, Khawaja revealed his own ordeals.
Notably, Indian sports journalist Bharat Sundaresan’s tweet mentioned how he had been harassed multiple times at cricket venues around Australia with the latest one being at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where the Boxing Day Test between Australia and South Africa is scheduled to be played.
“To all you wonderful security personnel at cricket venues around Australia. This is my fifth summer here. At some point you have to stop jumping on me, questioning my credentials, talking down to me & asking each other if “we can trust him?”. Like it or not, I’m here to stay,” tweeted Bharat Sundaresan.
In response, Usman Khwaja wrote, “You get use to it. I got stopped 3 times last year at our hotel, while in Australian Kit and asked if I was with the Australian Cricket team... #youdontlookaustralian #orsotheysay.”
Notably, Khwaja had earlier shared the mentality of people in Australia and what he experienced when he started playing cricket. “When I was younger in Australia, the amount of time I got told I was never going to play for Australia, and I am not the right skin colour was immense. I had to get told I don’t fit the team, and they would not pick me. That was the mentality, but now it's starting to shift,” the Islamabad-born cricketer told ESPNCricinfo.
The 36-year-old is currently part of the Australian Test side which is taking on South Africa in a home Test series. Khwaja will open alongside David Warner, who will be playing his 100 the Test. The southpaw made his Test debut in 2011 and became the first Muslim cricketer to play for Australia. Khawaja has till now played 54 Tests and mustard 3,966 runs at an average of 46.11 including 12 centuries and 19 half-centuries.
