New Delhi: Cricket Australia backed Usman Khawaja’s right to show support for the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, but they also requested the southpaw to follow International Cricket Council (ICC) rules that forbid displays on playing equipment.
In a training session on Tuesday ahead of the forthcoming Test match against Pakistan, Khawaja, the opener for Australia, had the words “All lives are equal” and “Freedom is a human right” etched on his boots in the colours of the Palestinian flag.
According to reports from Australian media, the southpaw, who has Pakistani roots, had planned to wear these shoes during the first test match against the Pakistani team at Perth Stadium.
Captain’s call on Test eve! 🏆
Don’t forget to get your tickets: https://t.co/kN6uQt6Vw9#AUSvPAK #TheWestTest #FillTheHill pic.twitter.com/G6YJSgzftL
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) December 13, 2023
In a statement, Cricket Australia reaffirmed their support for players’ freedom to voice their personal beliefs while highlighting the ICC’s current regulations prohibiting the display of private messages.
What do ICC rules state?
It is specifically forbidden for players to display messages on their gear or apparel without permission according to the ICC Code of Conduct.
Such communications are expressly prohibited, especially those that address political, religious, or racial issues or activities.
Pat Cummins backs Khawaja
During a press conference, Captain Pat Cummins affirmed that Khawaja had chosen not to wear the boots during the game but to back his teammate’s protest.
According to the Aussie skipper, the opener doesn’t want to make a fuss about the situation and has decided not to wear the controversial shoes.
He also, states that the message in Khawaja’s shoes represents everyone as equal, and does not think people should have a problem with it.
Khawaja’s reply
Amidst all the chaos, the Aussie southpaw, took on X (Formerly known as Twitter), to address the situation in a post which captioned, “All Lives are Equal. Freedom is a Human right. I’m raising my voice for human rights. For a humanitarian appeal. If you see it any other way. That’s on you…”
Check out the post below:
All Lives are Equal. Freedom is a Human right. I’m raising my voice for human rights. For a humanitarian appeal. If you see it any other way. That’s on you… pic.twitter.com/8eaPnBfUEb
— Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) December 13, 2023