Why cricket star Usman Khawaja is sick of immigrants being blamed for a problem which has infuriated millions of Aussies
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Cricket star Usman Khawaja has revealed his frustration at immigrants who move to Australia being blamed for the nation's housing crisis.
Khawaja, 38, was born in Pakistan and relocated to Sydney with his family when he was four.
Speaking ahead of the federal election next month, the opening batsman acknowledged attitudes towards immigration are improving - but can be better.
'When I hear immigration getting blamed for the housing crisis, which I fundamentally know is not true – housing prices went through the roof when no immigrants were coming through in COVID – it disappoints me because I think Australia was built on the back of immigration,' he told Fairfax.
'Unless you are First Nations or a person of Aboriginal descent, we are all immigrants in one way or another.'
Khawaja went onto state his belief that 'Australia's greatest asset is its immigrant community' before pointing to the current hype surrounding track star Gout Gout.
Cricket star Usman Khawaja (pictured with wife Rachel) has revealed his frustration at immigrants who move to Australia being blamed for the nation's housing crisis
Khawaja was born in Pakistan and relocated to Sydney with his family when he was four
The opening batter (pictured with wife Rachel) used Aussie sprint sensation Gout Gout as an example of how immigrants have enriched the country
The sprinter, 17, was born in Brisbane - but his parents fled South Sudan for a better life on Australian shores.
A burning desire for Australia to embrace immigration was one of the chief reasons the cricketer launched the Usman Khawaja Foundation.
The Foundation provides grants, assistance and educational support to young people and families from refugee, immigrant, Indigenous, rural, remote and low socio-economic backgrounds.
Khawaja admitted he was racially targeted as a youngster - and maintains there needs to be more multicultural representation in Australian cricket elite coaching circles.
After first being handed his baggy green in 2011, Khawaja is closing in on 6000 runs at Test level, having being an automatic selection in recent years.
Last month Khawaja courted controversy after he was accused of ditching the Queensland Bulls to attend the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne instead.
Khawaja then launched a passionate defence of his Sheffield Shield absence, taking aim at Queensland's head of cricket, Joe Dawes, for what he called 'categorically untrue' comments.
The veteran - who is also a qualified pilot - later featured in the Sheffield Shield final, which was won by South Australia.
He is expected to face the new ball when Australia take on South Africa in the World Test Championship Final at Lord's from June 11.
Daily Mail
