Usman Khawaja reveals his mother was abused at Boxing Day Test for wearing a hijab

Australian Test opener Usman Khawaja has revealed that his mother was the target of Islamophobic abuse during last year’s Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, an episode he has kept private until disclosing it in a forward to a government report on Islamophobia.

Khawaja, who wrote the foreword to A National Response to Islamophobia released Friday, said two young men walked behind his mother and shouted obscenities in her ears because she was wearing a hijab. Security detained the men and police were called, he said, but his mother was left frightened and did not want the matter pursued further.

“Two young men decided to walk behind my mum and scream obscenities in both ears, simply because she was wearing a hijab,” Khawaja wrote. “She was terrified. My mum was distraught. She did not know what to do as she was extremely frightened, shocked and upset by the incident.”

The Pakistan-born batsman, the first Muslim to represent Australia in Test cricket, said he has long felt compelled to act as a protector for his parents when in public and often walks slightly behind them so he can respond if someone acts violently or hatefully. He described the everyday scrutiny his mother faces because she visibly practices her faith.

“I believe there is nothing more difficult than being a hijab-wearing Muslim,” Khawaja wrote. “They literally wear their religion on their sleeves. As a Muslim man, no-one knows what I am ... but a Muslim woman who covers her hair is out there for the world to see; she can't hide and she automatically becomes a target for hate and prejudice.”

Khawaja said he and his mother kept the Boxing Day incident quiet, even from his teammates, because his mother did not want to escalate the situation. “I was furious that someone treated my mum that way but I respected my mum's wishes and we kept it quiet and hidden even from my team-mates,” he wrote. He added that his mother’s response — a reluctance to punish the perpetrators — reflected values she learned from her faith.

Throughout his international career Khawaja has been open about encountering abuse and trolling tied to his background and religion. He has played more than 70 Test matches, scoring in excess of 5,000 runs at an average above 45, and has been an outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion in Australian sport.

Khawaja’s disclosure comes as Australia considers national-level responses to Islamophobia and as cricket prepares for another high-profile summer. England will tour Australia to contest the Ashes, and Khawaja is expected to play a prominent role for the home side.

In his forward, Khawaja said the Boxing Day episode was not an isolated personal grievance but part of a broader pattern of prejudice that affects Muslim women in particular because their faith is visually apparent. He urged recognition of the problem and greater protections for those targeted in public spaces.

Security and policing prevented further immediate harm at the MCG on that occasion, Khawaja noted, but he used the episode to underline the psychological toll such incidents take on families and communities. He said experiences like his family’s have shaped his approach off the field as much as on it, informing his public advocacy and private precautions.

Cricket Australia and stadium authorities did not immediately comment on the account. Khawaja’s account adds a high-profile, personal perspective to public debate about Islamophobia in Australia and highlights concerns about safety and inclusion at major sporting events.