Usman Khawaja’s Sabr Book 2026: Meaning, Author and Key Revelations

Sabr: Finding My Way in Cricket and Life is the autobiography of Australian cricket player Usman Khawaja. It was published by Penguin Books Australia on 10 th November 2026 and details Khawaja’s childhood, playing career, the challenges with his identity and feeling like he belonged, plus his many struggles to find success in Australian cricket.

‘Sabr’ means patience in Arabic. Usman Khawaja uses this as a way to describe how he used his patience through career setbacks and personal challenges to ultimately make his way back into the Australian Test team. The book details his experiences with racism, his diagnosis with a health issue and his experience with the 2018 Australian ball tampering scandal.

Book Details

• Title: Sabr – Finding My Way in Cricket and Life
• Author: Usman Khawaja
• Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
• Date Published: 10 th November 2026
• Genre: Autobiography / Memoir
• Format: Hardback / eBook / Audiobook
• Pages: 448
• ISBN: 9781761344268

What Does the Title Mean?

Sabr is an Arabic word meaning patience. It also means perseverance and determination during tough times. Usman Khawaja describes it as his philosophy throughout his career and personal challenges with the many setbacks he encountered.

The title relates to how he was dropped from the Australian team multiple times, struggled with his identity and ultimately made his way back to Test cricket successfully.

Usman Khawaja’s Career

Usman Khawaja was born in Islamabad, Pakistan but was raised in Australia. He became the first Muslim to play for Australia in Test cricket. He made his Test debut against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2011.

Although he had many setbacks throughout his career, he was able to make his way back to the Test team in 2022. He scored twin centuries against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2022.

Some key facts include,

• Test debut: 3 rd January 2011 (England)
• Tests played: 88
• Test Runs: 6229
• Test Centuries: 16
• Awarded: ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2023.

Retired from international cricket in January 2026 after playing in the Ashes.

Key Themes Within the Book

Childhood and Identity

• Khawaja writes about his childhood growing up in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The book details his multicultural background and struggles finding his place in cricket.

Racism and Discrimination

• The book details the racism and discrimination he faced due to his race and religion. It also details his position as a pioneer for players from multicultural and South Asian backgrounds.

Setbacks and Comeback

• Khawaja had many setbacks after his debut in 2011 where he was excluded from the Australian Test team. However, he made his way back in 2022 and had a successful period of play.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

• A key personal detail revealed in this book is that Khawaja was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when he was 22 years old.

Khawaja detailed how he suffered from extreme pain in his knees and had trouble walking. He was able to manage his illness with regular treatment and injections whilst continuing to play professional cricket. He stated how he did not want people to use this against him, so kept it a secret.

SABR and the 2018 Ball Tampering Scandal

One of the most talked about parts of this book is chapter 17 titled ‘Sandpaper’. This details the 2018 ball tampering scandal that happened in Australia.

During the third test match between Australia and South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town in March 2018. Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper to tamper with the ball.

What Did Khawaja Say?

Throughout his autobiography and media interviews, Khawaja has claimed that more people knew about the tampering than the 3 players who were sanctioned in 2018.

He has stated that all members of the Australian team knew about the plan. He also claimed that there was tampering in the previous test in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).

This has caused the incident to be in the news again and raised questions around the investigation.

What Did the Investigation Find in 2018?

The investigation by Cricket Australia found that only 3 players knew about the tampering. Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

Pat Cummins Disagrees with Khawaja’s Claims

On the 13th November 2026 Australian Test captain Pat Cummins disagreed with Khawaja’s claims during a press conference in Sydney.

Cummins said he had no knowledge of the sandpaper being used on the field. He went onto say that it was “complete and utter nonsense” that everyone knew about the plan. He also denied that he and other players had helped create the plan.

He said some of the claims could be defamatory but would not take any legal action.

David Warner Agrees with Khawaja

Former Australian opener David Warner publicly agreed with Khawaja and said the claims were true. This caused a clear divide between former teammates.

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg mentioned they would not re-investigate the 2018 incident due to differing memories and findings.

It is important to note that what Khawaja has said in his autobiography are his personal views and do not align with the findings of the investigation in 2018. These claims have been publicly disagreed with by Cummins. The claims should not be seen as findings.