When he was denied the opportunity to wear a black dove with an olive branch on his shoes for the forthcoming Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, which starts on Tuesday, December 26, the star Australian opener called out the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their hypocrisy. Notably, Usman Khawaja has been in legal battles with the top cricket authority to be allowed to honor those who have died in Gaza during an international match.
But the ICC forbids players from wearing any kind of political, religious, or racial message on the field; thus, all of his efforts have been in vain. Therefore, cricket’s regulatory board denied his recent request to wear the black dove insignia on his shoe and bat.
Usman Khawaja posted a video on his Instagram account showcasing previous incidents of players wearing religious symbols on their bats in an attempt to expose the ICC for their hypocrisy. The video features all-rounder Keshav Maharaj of South Africa with the ‘Om’ emblem, West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran with an eagle and a bible verse on his bat, and colleague Marnus Labuschagne with an eagle and a verse.
With the caption, “Merry Christmas, everybody,” Khawaja criticized the ICC for its hypocrisy. You just have to laugh sometimes. Until Boxing Day, bye! double standards that are inconsistent.
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During the first Test match against Pakistan in Perth, the Australian batter made the notable decision to wear his shoes with the phrases “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right.” He took the field to honor the children who died in Gaza, but the ICC forbade him from doing so. Instead, he wore a black armband.
Pat Cummins offers Usman Khawaja his support.
Khawaja’s black armband didn’t sit well with the ICC either because he didn’t have permission to wear it in the first place and received criticism from the appropriate body. He decided, in the midst of all the commotion, to request permission in advance to wear the black dove emblem on his shoes and bat, but he was turned down once more.
Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia, has consistently backed Khawaja in his cause while also adhering to ICC regulations.
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