'Hard to control my emotions': Usman Khawaja bids farewell after stellar career ends with Ashes triumph

Usman Khawaja has bid farewell to international cricket after a stellar Australian career that lasted 14 years across all three formats.

The 39-year-old announced his retirement prior to the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG - the same ground he debuted at in 2011 - bringing an end to an 88-game tenure.

Khawaja received a guard of honour from the England players as he walked out onto the field for the second innings, with the umpires also joining in to clap him out.

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While scores of 17 and 6 in his final Test didn't contribute much to the result, Khawaja admitted that rounding out the summer with a win was his main priority.

"I said to [his wife] Rach this morning ... the only thing I want is a win, to finish off the Ashes with a win. I'd love nothing more," he said on the field post-match.

"As much as I wanted to go out there and score runs and hit the winning runs, I'm just so grateful for one last final win and to celebrate with my teammates.

"I was trying to act cool, but the whole Test match I found it really hard to control my emotions. I pride myself on being able to control my emotions my whole career - I haven't given away too much - but I found it really hard to concentrate.

"I found it hard to get into rhythm, even today. My whole career, particularly the last end of the career, has been built on process, process, process. It's just so hard to go out there and concentrate ... but I'm glad we got the win, got over the line.

"It's something I'll cherish for the rest of my life, being able to finish here at the SCG.

"I've said it so many times this week, it's full of gratitude. I think a lot of times in life, we worry about what we want, or we always want more. It's all about what else can we have, what else do we want? My whole week has all been just be grateful.

"If I get two ducks or I get two hundreds, just be grateful for what you've been given."

There were touching scenes as Khawaja walked off after being dismissed by Josh Tongue on day five, when his wife Rachel was spotted crying in the crowd.

Khawaja, full of reflection, acknowledged how crucial his family have been to his journey in the Australian team and what he's looking forward to doing next.

"I'm very lucky, some people have lost family - I'm still lucky my parents are still around, they got to experience it, not everyone's that lucky," he said.

"I've always had a perspective on life. I love the game of cricket, but the life outside of cricket's been more important, if anything, than the game itself. I'm glad we can enjoy this one final journey and hopefully, I've got the second half of my life to live with them.

"It's funny - my daughter, even today, she's like, 'Daddy, it's your last day'. I was like, 'Yeah, it's my last day, honey'. She gave me a hug, and I was like, 'why are you so happy?' And she goes, 'Oh, you get to spend more time with us now'.

"I gave her a big hug, and said yes honey, I do."

Khawaja bows out with over 6000 runs at an average in the 40s, scoring 16 Test tons and another 1554 runs with two centuries in ODI cricket.

As he looked around the famous Sydney venue for the final time as an Australian player, Khawaja sent one final message to all those who supported him.

"I just want to say thank you very much," he said.

"Without all the fans and the people watching, well, I wouldn't have this career, I wouldn't have the ability to play cricket, to make it my living.

"Everyone who's been involved, keep supporting the beautiful game of Test cricket. It is by far my favourite version of the game.

"I'll see you out here soon, next time, maybe in a suit like Howie [Mark Howard]."