Usman Khawaja says he hid rheumatoid arthritis for years, revealed after January 2026 retirement

Usman Khawaja has said on Australian Story that he secretly battled rheumatoid arthritis throughout his international cricket career and only disclosed the condition after retiring from international cricket in January 2026.

Khawaja said he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 22 during the 2009 off-season while playing for New South Wales, a diagnosis that caused severe pain in his left knee and threatened his early cricketing prospects. He told medical staff, coaches and cricket administrators about the condition but deliberately withheld the information from teammates to avoid special treatment and because he feared opponents or critics might use it against him.

Even those close to him were unaware of the diagnosis; Khawaja said childhood cricket companion David Warner and former Australia teammate Michael Hussey did not know. He spoke about his experience on Australian Story in part to offer encouragement to others living with autoimmune diseases. "I genuinely thought I was going to die," Khawaja said. "I went from this athlete who was playing professional cricket to not being able to walk 10 metres to the bathroom."

Khawaja described how medical treatment allowed him to resume his career, saying regular injections helped him return to the crease about six months after his diagnosis. He credited a specific medication with restoring his ability to play and live normally: "Without that drug," he said, "I would never have played cricket ever again or even lived a normal life again." He added a message of optimism for others: "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."

Khawaja made his Test debut for Australia in January 2011 against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground and became the first Pakistan-born player to represent Australia in Test cricket. His international career featured multiple removals from the Test side followed by returns to the team, including a notable comeback during the 2021-22 Ashes when he scored centuries in both innings of the Sydney Test.

Across his Test career Khawaja compiled 6,229 runs, including 16 centuries, in 88 matches. He announced his retirement from international cricket after Australia's fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2026.

Khawaja said he will expand on his experiences in his forthcoming autobiography, Sabr, which he hopes will encourage people living with chronic illnesses and offer insight into the personal challenges behind a career that appeared successful on the field.