Pat Cummins, the captain of the Australian cricket team, has stated that Usman Khawaja has decided not to wear shoes with statements about the situation in Palestine during the first Test match against Pakistan. After seeing the scrawled phrases “All lives are equal” and “Freedom is a human right” on his shoes during this week’s practice sessions, Khawaja made the decision to not wear them during the game.
This decision is in accordance with the guidelines established by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which clearly forbids any expressions of politics, religion, or race during games. Cummins spoke to the media, pointing out that Usman Khawaja might not be aware of these rules and that he doesn’t want to create a lot of noise over it.
“He told me he wouldn’t be when we briefly spoke. Uzzie is trying not to cause too much commotion.” TOI cited Pat Cummins in remarks to the media.
Pakistani-born Khawaja, who practices Islam, had earlier posted a video on Instagram from UNICEF expressing his worries about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. He posed concerns in his post regarding the disrespect for innocent lives due to characteristics such as skin color or religion.
Additionally, Moeen Ali and MS Dhoni were flagged per ICC standards.
Cricket Australia has reaffirmed its support for players voicing their personal opinions, but it has also urged adherence to the ICC’s stringent rules regarding statements and symbols displayed by players during international matches. But this instance reminds me of the 2014 ban England all-rounder Moeen Ali received for wearing wristbands supporting Gaza and Palestine during a home Test, demonstrating the ICC’s persistent position against political displays during games.
Previous situations, like the one in which former India captain MS Dhoni was refused permission to wear gloves with the Indian Army symbol engraved on them during the 2019 ICC World Cup, demonstrated the commitment to these restrictions. The Indian Cricket Council (ICC) maintained its regulations prohibiting the use of such symbols on the field in spite of a formal request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
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