The acronym GOAT has been in currency for a few decades, often to describe athletes whose on-field achievements have transcended generations. If there was a category for retirement speeches that go beyond the sport and offer a mirror to society, Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja would be a strong contender to top the list.

Historically, retirement speeches and press conferences have always been feel-good, emotional, and sometimes heartbreaking. Players get nostalgic and express gratitude, while hard-nosed journalists asking softball questions. Everyone moves on in a few days.

But some speeches linger. For fans earnestly invested in a sport, such speeches invariably bring heartache, even grief. The great American baseball player Lou Gehrig announced he has ALS (now known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). It was a cultural turning point when Magic Johnson stunned the world by announcing he was retiring immediately after testing positive for HIV. Kobe Bryant broke the mould by announcing his retirement through a poem titled ‘Dear Basketball’. More recently, Roger Federer’s retirement became internet-famous not just for his words, but for the visuals of him and his........

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