Usman Khawaja has hit out at racial stereotyping in Australian cricket, pointing to double standards in the way his back spasms were talked about as proof it still exists upon his looming retirement.
In a powerful 50-minute press conference at the SCG, the Test star declared he wanted to make life easier for "the next Usman Khawaja" in a "very white sport" in Australia.
The only Pakistani-born player and Muslim to play Tests for Australia, Khawaja confirmed Sunday's fifth Ashes Test at the SCG would be his 88th and last.
Since coming back into Australia's Test team four years ago and having one of the great career revivals, Khawaja has become a prominent voice on several issues.
He spoke on Friday of the pride of rising from being a youngster told he would never be able to play for Australia, to being the country's 15th greatest run-scorer.
But he also highlighted the difficulties faced since his 2011 Test debut, including early days trying to conform and feeling 50-50 calls went against him because his "name isn't John Smith".
The 39-year-old said he had felt improvements since, but claims that golf had prompted his back spasms that kept him from the field in Perth and ruled him out of Brisbane took him back to historical issues.
"I could have copped it for two days, but I copped it for five days straight," Khawaja said.
"It wasn't even about my performances, it was about something very personal. It was about my preparation.
"The way that everyone came at me about my preparation was quite personal in terms of things like 'he's not committed to the team, he was only worried about himself, he played this golf comp the day before, he's selfish, he doesn't train hard enough, he's lazy'.
"These are the same racial stereotypes that I've grown up with my whole life."
Khawaja said the comments from former players and those in the media were at odds with the way other injuries were spoken about.
"I can give you countless number of guys who have played golf the day before a match and have been injured, but you guys haven't said a thing," he said.
"I can give you even more examples of guys who have had 15 schooners the night before a game and have then been injured.
"But no one said a word because they were just being Aussie larrikins, they were just being lads.
"But when I get injured, everyone went at my credibility and who I am as a person.
"Normally when someone gets injured, you feel a little bit sorry for them and a little bit of remorse - 'poor Josh Hazlewood' or 'poor Nathan Lyon' for getting injured. We feel sorry for them, we don't attack them."
Khawaja said it had been a similar issue last year, when he was one of the few Test players to feature in the Sheffield Shield before he missed a game through injury and attended the Australian Grand Prix.
He believed part of that commentary came down to the fact he had been outspoken on political issues in recent years, and the most notably the plight of Palestinians.
"I understand that I've talked about certain issues outside cricket which leaves me exposed and a lot of people don't like that," Khawaja said.
"I still find it hard when I say that everyone deserves freedom and that Palestinians deserve freedom and equal rights, and why that's a big issue.
"But I get it because I put myself out there.
"Even when we get to Australian politics and we get all these right-wing politicians that are anti-Immigration and (fuel) Islamophobia and I speak up against them, I know that people don't love that.
"I know I'm up here talking about topics and people are like, okay, Uzzy's here. He's playing the race card again.
"But don't gaslight me."
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg praised Khawaja's legacy on Friday, and said the sport and country as a whole still had work to do.
"What I'm hoping is the journey for the next Usman Khawaja is a little easier. Then the next Usman Khawaja (after that) has it a little easier," Khawaja said.
"And then we get to a line where the journey for that Usman Khawaja, however many generations away, is the same as John Smith.
"There's still a little bit way to go, because Australian cricket is still very white in a lot of respects. But that's not a bad thing.
"We just have to accept that and say, alright, how do we make it more inclusive? And then you just try to work towards it."
After moving from Islamabad to Sydney with his family at age five, Khawaja will now farewell the international game less than a kilometre from where he grew up.
His family joined him in the room for Friday's press conference, after he also shed tears while telling teammates of his exit moments earlier.
"'I'm a proud Muslim coloured boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team," he said.
"Look at me now."
USMAN KHAWAJA'S TEST CAREER:
Tests: 87
Runs: 6206
Average: 43.39
Centuries: 16
Half-centuries: 28
