Usman Khawaja set to join Sky Sports’ broadcast team for next Ashes series

Usman Khawaja set to join Sky Sports’ broadcast team for next Ashes series

Usman Khawaja Joins Sky Sports for 2027 Ashes Coverage

Former Australia opener Usman Khawaja is set to bring his first-hand experience of one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries to the commentary box, joining Sky Sports for next summer’s Ashes series. The recently retired batter is expected to feature during the opening three Tests, offering viewers insight into the Australian team and the pressures of competing in England.

The agreement was finalised before the release of Khawaja’s autobiography, Sabr, which has drawn renewed attention to the 2018 ball-tampering scandal known as Sandpaper-Gate. His arrival on Sky’s broadcast team therefore comes at a moment when his perspective is attracting interest both for his playing career and for his account of a defining controversy in Australian cricket.

Ashes experience from both sides of the rivalry

According to The Telegraph, Khawaja is expected to work on coverage of the first three Tests at Trent Bridge, Lord’s and Edgbaston. He played 23 Ashes Tests across seven series, giving him a detailed understanding of the contest’s shifting momentum, its demanding conditions and the scrutiny faced by players in both countries.

Khawaja retired from international cricket in January 2026, following the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The venue carries particular significance: it was where he made his Test debut in 2011 and where he brought his international career to a close. His move into broadcasting gives him an opportunity to reflect on the rivalry from a new vantage point, while helping audiences interpret the tactical decisions and personal pressures that shape a five-Test series.

For viewers, that experience could be especially valuable when Australia face England in unfamiliar conditions. A former player can explain more than what happened on the field: they can offer context on preparation, changing match situations and how teams respond when momentum swings. Khawaja’s familiarity with Australia’s players is likely to add another layer to Sky’s analysis.

Ricky Ponting and other former players expected to feature

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is expected to join the coverage for the final two Tests at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton and The Oval. Ponting is a regular presence on Sky Sports, but his coaching commitments in Major League Cricket in the United States are expected to keep him away from the opening portion of the series.

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor and former England fast bowler Mark Wood are also expected to be part of the broadcast team. Their different experiences—as a long-serving international batter and a fast bowler who has played at the highest level—should help provide a broad range of perspectives across the series.

With a five-Test contest likely to produce tactical adjustments, selection debates and intense scrutiny, the broadcaster is assembling a team with substantial international experience. The lineup is still subject to confirmation, but the expected combination of Khawaja, Ponting, Taylor and Wood points to coverage focused on both technical analysis and the personalities behind the rivalry.

Khawaja’s Sandpaper-Gate account renews debate

Khawaja’s autobiography, Sabr, has reignited discussion about the 2018 Cape Town Test, where Cameron Bancroft was caught applying sandpaper to the ball. The incident led to major sanctions and a prolonged examination of what senior players knew about the plan.

In the book, Khawaja disputes the suggestion that knowledge of the ball-tampering scheme was limited to a small group. He wrote: “It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us.” His statement challenges the account that several Australian bowlers had no knowledge of the plan before the incident became public.

In 2021, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon issued a joint statement after Bancroft’s interview prompted fresh questions about what the bowling group knew. Khawaja’s comments have reopened those questions, although his account is one perspective within a controversy that has been discussed extensively by players, officials and fans.

The penalties imposed after the 2018 investigation reshaped the careers and public reputations of those involved. David Warner received a one-year suspension after investigators identified him as the architect of the plan. Bancroft, who was seen using the sandpaper, was banned for nine months, while captain Steve Smith also received a 12-month suspension. The episode remains one of the most consequential scandals in modern Australian cricket.

Khawaja’s move into broadcasting may make his views on the episode particularly relevant to audiences. Commentary teams often revisit major turning points in a sport’s history, and his book has added a new account to a debate that continues to influence how the 2018 team is remembered.

A distinguished 15-year international career

Khawaja ended his international career with 8,024 runs in 137 matches across Tests, one-day internationals and T20 internationals. His strongest format was Test cricket, where he scored 6,229 runs in 88 matches at an average of 42.96. His record included 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries, with a highest score of 232 against Sri Lanka in 2025.

In ODIs, he made 1,554 runs in 40 matches at an average of 42.00, including two centuries and 12 fifties. He also scored 241 runs in nine T20 internationals, striking at 132.42. Those numbers reflect a career that extended across formats, though his greatest impact came in the longer game.

Khawaja made history in January 2011 when he became the first Muslim and Pakistani-heritage cricketer to represent Australia in Test cricket. After losing his place in the side in 2019, he returned in January 2022 and made an immediate statement, scoring centuries in both innings against England at the SCG.

His later achievements included winning the 2023 ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award and helping Australia claim the World Test Championship title that year. He also joined Allan Border as one of only two Australian batters to score Test centuries in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

What to expect from the Ashes prediction and coverage

With the next Ashes series approaching, attention will naturally turn to team selection, conditions and the likely balance between bat and ball. Any early prediction about the outcome remains uncertain: five Tests can change direction quickly, and performances in England often depend on adapting to local pitches and weather. Khawaja’s role will not be to settle those questions in advance, but his experience should help explain how the contest develops once play begins.

His combination of Ashes experience, a long international career and a newly published account of a major cricket controversy gives Sky Sports a distinctive voice for its coverage. For fans, the appointment promises more than a familiar former player in the commentary box: it offers an opportunity to hear the rivalry discussed by someone who has experienced its demands from inside the Australian dressing room.

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