During the first Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Optus Stadium in Perth on Thursday, December 14, Usman Khawaja, a seasoned opener for Australia, chose to wear messages supporting Palestinian rights on his shoes. These messages included “All Lives Are Equal” and “Freedom is a Human Right.” His decision caused controversy.
Even though Khawaja first said that he was going to wear the shoes in defiance of the International Cricket Council (ICC), he eventually followed the ICC’s orders. Notably, the international governing body forbids any use of political, religious, or racial statements in the matches. He said, meanwhile, that he will battle the ICC to defend his freedom to voice his humanitarian beliefs.
Before the first day’s play began, Usman Khawaja conducted an interview in her underwear with 7Cricket announcer Alison Mitchell, which attracted even more interest from the public. The batter, who was born in Pakistan, stood by the cause he wished to express his opinions for and reaffirmed in the interview that he would follow ICC rules.
“I’m an adult; I can do anything I want, but the ICC will just keep coming after me and fining me, which will eventually take away from the fun of the game.” I remain true to my words. I will always stand by it.
Usman Khawaja said to Mitchell, “But I also have to go out there and really focus on what I’m doing.”
“No, but I will make every effort to complete it as quickly as feasible. I think that the ICC has already established and accepted previous precedents. Based on precedent, players have taken actions where the ICC has never taken any action before. “There have definitely been precedents in the past for similar things, so I find it a little unfair that they have come down on me at this particular time,” the 36-year-old continued.
Coming up before play: @AlisonMitchell chats with Usman Khawaja #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/TosoDs8qBN
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 14, 2023
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Coming up before play: @AlisonMitchell chats with Usman Khawaja #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/TosoDs8qBN
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 14, 2023
Furthermore, in the first Test now in progress, Usman Khawaja made a recent gesture that amply demonstrated his position. Australia’s skipper, Pat Cummins, 36, wore a black armband as he batted against Pakistan after winning the toss. By doing this, he is demonstrating his solidarity and support for those impacted by the Israel-Hamas war. It’s worth noting that he wore shoes with pro-Palestine slogans on them, but he covered them with semi-transparent tape, suggesting a more nuanced viewpoint.
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