Former Australia opener Usman Khawaja has revealed that he battled rheumatoid arthritis throughout his international cricket career, keeping the condition hidden from his teammates for years.Speaking on ABC, the 39-year-old recalled being diagnosed with the illness at just 22, when severe pain in his left knee made even walking difficult.“I genuinely thought I was going to die,” Khawaja said, describing how he went from being an athletic cricketer to someone who could barely walk 10 metres.He was diagnosed in 2009 while playing for New South Wales during the off-season. Although doctors and cricket officials knew about his condition, he chose not to tell his teammates.
Why Khawaja kept his illness secret
Khawaja feared that revealing his health problems could be used against him, and he did not want people treating him differently. As a result, even former teammates David Warner and Michael Hussey were unaware of his condition.He relied on regular medication and injections to control the disease and returned to cricket around six months after his diagnosis. The treatment played a crucial role in helping him continue his career.“Without that drug, I would never have played cricket ever again or even lived a normal life again,” he said.Khawaja hopes his experience will encourage people living with autoimmune diseases to keep pursuing their goals.“If a person can play at the top level as a professional cricketer with rheumatoid arthritis, then I think a lot of other people can achieve a lot, too,” he added.
Khawaja’s cricket career and lasting message
Khawaja made his Test debut against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2011. Despite being dropped from the team several times, he made important comebacks. One of his biggest achievements came during the 2021-22 Ashes, when he scored centuries in both innings of the Sydney Test.He retired from Test cricket in January 2026 after the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney. He finished with 6,229 runs and 16 centuries in 88 Tests.Khawaja is also preparing to share more about his life and career in his upcoming autobiography, Sabr.His story highlights the health struggles that can exist behind the success of professional athletes. By speaking publicly about his illness after retirement, Khawaja hopes to raise awareness about rheumatoid arthritis and show others that a chronic condition does not necessarily mean giving up on their ambitions.
