A heated debate sparked in the cricket world about race, culture, and privilege after former England spinner Monty Panesar reacted to Usman Khawaja’s emotional comments about racism in Australian cricket.
Monty Panesar Contradicts Usman Khawaja in Heated Cricket Racism Debate
Recently, the seasoned Australian opener Usman Khawaja opened up about facing stereotypes and harsh treatment. And now, reacting to the Aussie star’s revelations, Panesar has presented a contradictory view, saying that he has not faced any racism during his entire career in England.
The British Asian cricketer, who played 50 Tests for England, reflected on his international journey and quashed the growing narrative of racism in cricket, especially within the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) setup.
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Monty Panesar’s Perspective: “A Welcoming Dressing Room”
Panesar shared that he always felt respected and valued within the England setup. The former spinner has noted that the dressing room environment was welcoming, and the support from teammates and the ECB remained consistent throughout his career.
Monty Panesar was quoted as saying by IANS: “Thankfully, I never faced any racial discrimination while playing for England. I always received strong support from the team and the board. They were very supportive.”
Usman Khawaja’s Claims: Stereotypes and “Excessive” Criticism
Recently, Khawaja opened up about the struggles he faced during his time with the Australian cricket team. After announcing he will retire from the game after the final Ashes Test in Sydney, Khawaja has opened up about the challenges he faced throughout his career.
He explained that despite being part of one of the most celebrated national teams in sport, the Australian opener often felt like an outsider. Even after years of consistent performances, the Pakistani-born Australian batter believed he was still seen and treated differently.
Khawaja stated, “I’ve always felt a little bit different, even now. I am a colored cricketer, and the Australian cricket team is, in my opinion, the greatest national team. It’s our pride and joy. But I’ve also felt very different by the way I’ve been treated and by how certain things have happened.”
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He also faced intense criticism ahead of the Perth Test, when he spent time playing golf before suffering sudden back spasms that stopped him from opening in both innings.
The Australian star has further noted that media voices and former players questioned his commitment for several days, and he felt the backlash went far beyond and reflected long-standing stereotypes he had dealt with since his early days in cricket.
Khawaja signed off by saying, “I had back spasms, and it was something I couldn’t control. The way the media and the past players came out and attacked me, I could have copped it for two days, but I copped it for about five days straight.
These are the same racial stereotypes I’ve grown up with my whole life. We obviously haven’t fully moved past them, because I’ve never seen anyone being treated like that in the Australian cricket team before, not for the uncontrollable way you guys went at me.”
“I’m off the leash now guys” 😂
Usman Khawaja is all smiles ahead of his last Test 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Wu0GJuMJck
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 2, 2026
