Usman Khawaja retired from International cricket in 2026 (Credit: Cricket Australia)
\n\nUsman Khawaja, who played in 88 Test matches for Australia, has disclosed that he had rheumatoid arthritis for a significant portion of his playing career. Months after he ended his international career, the information was made public. When he received the potentially crippling diagnosis, he was only 22. Even close friends David Warner and Michael Hussey were unaware of Khawaja's illness because the 39-year-old kept it a secret throughout his career. He claimed that Khawaja concealed the sickness from his teammates because he did not want special treatment or run the risk of the ailment being used against him, even though the medical, coaching, and administrative personnel were aware of it.
\n\nWhile speaking with the 'Australian Story', Khawaja expressed his anxiety that the diagnosis would put an end to his goal of playing cricket before it had even started. When medical professionals first failed to identify the source of his left knee pain, he also thought he had a terminal illness.
\n\n"I genuinely thought I was going to die. I went from this athlete who was playing professional cricket to not being able to walk 10 metres to the…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports
