WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Usman Khawaja used his retirement speech to defend illegal immigration.
OUR VERDICT
False. Khawaja didn't defend illegal immigration.
AAP FACTCHECK - Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja did not use his recent retirement speech to defend illegal immigration, despite claims on social media.
While he did recount his experiences as a Muslim immigrant and his belief in speaking out against anti-immigration views, at no point did he defend or even utter the phrase "illegal immigration".
Khawaja retired from international cricket on January 2, 2026, ahead of the final Ashes Test in Sydney and spoke at a news conference.
In a statement, the 39-year-old thanked family, friends and mentors, while reflecting on a 15-year international career.
However, false claims about Khawaja's comments have spread across Facebook.
"Used his retirement speech to take aim at 'right wing' opinions and defended illegal immigration," a Facebook post with more than 350,000 views states.
Khawaja was born in Pakistan and moved to Australia aged five with his family, growing up in NSW before moving to Queensland later in life.
After his Test debut in 2011, when he became the first Muslim to play for Australia, he went on to play 88 tests and retired as the 15th-highest test run scorer in the nation's history.
Khawaja did not use the phrase "illegal immigration" during an almost hour-long press conference announcing his retirement on January 2, which included questions from the media.
A transcript from the event contains no mention of the phrase "illegal immigration".
Khawaja spoke at length about experiences with racism and Islamophobia and the sacrifices his family made in immigrating to Australia from Pakistan.
When asked what it was like being told growing up that he would never play for Australia and what it was like to later become a part of the national team, Khawaja spoke about his experiences of racism in cricket and from the media.
He said he was also targeted because he had been outspoken on political issues outside cricket, such as the plight of Palestinians.
"Even when we get to Australian politics, we get all these right-wing politicians that are anti-immigration and [fuel] Islamophobia and I speak up against them," Khawaja said.
"I know people don't love that, but I mean, I feel like I have to because where these guys are trying to divide, create hate and trying to create animosity in the Australian community, I'm doing the exact opposite.
"I'm trying to bring everyone together. I'm trying to bring inclusivity into Australia. I'm trying to say I'm the Australian Muslim from Pakistan and I'm an Australian cricketer right in front of ya."
He added that his experience as an immigrant and a Muslim made him want to speak out against people expressing anti-immigration or Islamophobic views.
"I am an immigrant in Australia," he said.
"I came here at the age of five. It's personal. It is. When you start attacking my faith and my belief system, it is personal. So, I'm going to speak about that because not many athletes do."
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