Khawaja made 6,229 Test runs with 16 centuries and has proven to be a trailblazer in Australian cricket who opened a door for others to follow. Even his best friend from high school, Ardil, did not know about the condition until one year ago.
Reflecting on his experiences in his book, Khawaja writes about his subcontinent life and his life as a cricketer in Australia, noting that people talked a lot about the cricket but not a lot about themselves much of the time.
The Australian cricketer revealed the hidden aspect of his career as he discussed his new book, which he wrote without a ghost writer because he believed no one else could encapsulate his unique journey.
Usman Khawaja concealed a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis from the public for years after being diagnosed at the age of 22 when severe pain in his left knee prevented him from walking 10 meters to the bathroom.
"We are all human and go through the ups and downs of life,"Khawaja said in Brisbane on Monday."I go through the ups and downs of cricket and it gets accentuated because everyone gets to see it. I took an injection last night."."I felt like I already had all these stereotypes I was trying to beat in Australian cricket, and I didn’t want to use that as an excuse,"Khawaja said."I didn’t want anyone to use it against me.".