Usman Khawaja says his mother was abused at Boxing Day Test because she wore a hijab

Usman Khawaja has disclosed that his mother was subjected to Islamophobic abuse at last year’s Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, saying the episode prompted him to take extra precautions to protect his parents in public.

In a forward to the government report "A National Response to Islamophobia," released Friday, the Australian opening batsman described how two young men walked behind his mother at the MCG and screamed obscenities in both her ears because she was wearing a hijab. Khawaja wrote that a security guard witnessed the incident, the men were detained and police were called, but his mother was left "terrified" and did not want to pursue the matter further.

Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan and became the first Muslim to represent Australia in Test cricket, said he has long been aware that visible markers of faith make Muslim women particular targets for abuse. "I believe there is nothing more difficult than being a hijab wearing Muslim," he 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."

He said he often walks slightly behind his parents when he is out with them so he can see and respond if someone attempts to harm them. "Many times, I purposely walk slightly behind my parents in case someone tries to do something out of hate, just so I can see and respond and defend them adequately," he wrote. Khawaja said the looks and "double takes" his mother receives when going to the supermarket or the park are "quite disturbing."

Khawaja said he kept the Boxing Day incident largely private, even from teammates, in deference to his mother's wishes. "She didn't want to proceed any further," he wrote, adding that he was "furious" at how she had been treated but respected her decision to remain merciful. "My mum's mercy was inspirational to see. Something she had learned from Islam, the religion of so-called 'violence and hate.' But don't tell me Islamophobia doesn't exist. The actions of those two individuals was purely based on hate and creating fear."

The disclosure forms part of the government report into Islamophobia and contributes a personal account from a high-profile sports figure about the prevalence of anti-Muslim sentiment in public spaces. Khawaja has previously spoken about facing abuse and online hostility during his career and has been an outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion in Australian sport.

On the field, Khawaja has played more than 70 Test matches, scoring in excess of 5,000 runs at an average above 45, including three Ashes centuries. He is expected to be a key member of Australia's squad again this summer when England tour for the Ashes.

Khawaja's account underscores concerns raised in recent years about the safety of spectators at major sporting events and the challenges faced by visibly Muslim Australians. He described the experience as "terrifying and shocking" and urged recognition that such episodes are not isolated. The report to which he contributed seeks to address patterns of prejudice and propose a national response to Islamophobia, the forward said.

Khawaja's public disclosure is one of the more prominent examples of a sportsman linking on-field life with off-field experiences of discrimination, and it provides a personal perspective to accompany the wider policy conversation prompted by the government's report.