Born in Pakistan, Usman Khawaja became the first Muslim to play for Australia when he made his debut in the 2011 Sydney Test. He looked comfortable making scores of 37 and 21, which was a sight for the sore eyes of Australian fans, who had been forced to suffer through England’s successful Ashes campaign that summer.

With his international career having stalled slightly following that much-hyped debut, Khawaja decided to move from New South Wales to Queensland at the start of the 2012-13 season.

Khawaja played a huge role in Sydney Thunder’s title conquest with two unbeaten centuries in the fifth edition of the Big Bash League.

Fans also remember his gritty century against Pakistan played at Dubai in 2018 – an innings which saved the game for Australia.

Khawaja sealed his spot in the 2019 World Cup squad following two stylish ODI centuries during his India and UAE tours.