Usman Khawaja explains why he kept arthritis diagnosis private during Test career

Usman Khawaja has explained why he kept his rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis out of public view throughout his Test career, saying he feared it could be used against him. Speaking in Brisbane on Monday, the former Australia batter described managing the condition while building an international career, according to reporting published by the Guardian ahead of his autobiography's release.

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Khawaja was diagnosed at 22, before he had played Test cricket. SEN, reporting on his interview with ABC's Australian Story, said the illness initially left him fearing for his life. He described the abrupt change from being a professional athlete to struggling to cover the short distance to the bathroom, while doctors sought an explanation for his symptoms.

The decision to remain private was deliberate. Khawaja said he was already confronting stereotypes within Australian cricket and did not want his health to become another obstacle or an explanation others would attach to his performances. He thanked medical staff and those aware of the diagnosis at Cricket NSW and Cricket Australia for respecting his confidentiality, the Guardian reported.

Regular medication injections proved central to his ability to continue playing. In the account reported by SEN, Khawaja credited the treatment with allowing him not only to return to cricket but also to resume ordinary life. He ultimately played 88 Tests for Australia, scoring 6,229 runs and 16 centuries before retiring from international cricket earlier this year.

His autobiography, Sabr, is scheduled for release on 10 November. Khawaja said he wrote it himself because he wanted to describe his own experience as a Pakistani-born Muslim navigating Australian cricket. According to the Guardian, the book covers his childhood, playing career and experiences of racial vilification, rather than concentrating exclusively on matches and on-field achievements.

Khawaja also hopes the disclosure will encourage others living with autoimmune conditions. SEN reported that he presents his experience of competing at the highest level with rheumatoid arthritis as a reason for others to retain their ambitions. The account adds a previously private dimension to a career whose public record includes more than 6,000 Test runs.