Political speech has never been absent from international cricket. Cricket has long been utilized for international diplomacy, which has resulted in numerous disputes and it's not surprising for a game with colonial and imperial roots. After all, the former colonies utilized cricket as a main weapon to retaliate against their colonial masters.<o:p></o:p>

Politics and cricket have crossed paths numerous times, with disastrous results. For example, the ICC's ban on South Africa during its infamous Apartheid system was a crucial way in which the country was isolated on the international scene. The civil strife in Sri Lanka nearly resulted in the non-selection of Tamil Muttiah Muralitharan, their star spinner, in 1996.<o:p></o:p>

However, there have been times when ICC intervened or overlooked such incidents when players tried to use the cricket field as a platform to give politically charged messages.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

Here are some incidents when cricket became a political battleground:<o:p></o:p>

1. Andy Flower and Henry Olonga<o:p></o:p>

Andy Flower is by far the greatest batter produced by Zimbabwe and Henry Olonga was perhaps their fastest bowler at his peak. The duo was a prime reason, why Zimbabwe was considered to be one of the most dangerous sides in the 1990s in both Tests and ODIs.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

However, when the 2003 World Cup was hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, Olonga and Andy Flower decided to use the tournament to draw attention to the atrocities committed by then-Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe. They wore black armbands during Zimbabwe’s matches in the tournament. The ICC did nothing much than a slap to their wrist, but it led to them forming the ‘Clothing and Equipment Rules.’<o:p></o:p>

2. Moeen Ali

In 2014, during a Test match between England and India, the host nation’s cricketer Moeen Ali decided to openly show his support for Palestine during the Gaza conflict and wore “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands. Ali said that he did it as a role model for youngsters and that he wore a long beard as he "wants people to know I am a Muslim."<o:p></o:p>

However, the ICC found this act by Moeen Ali to be against the code of conduct, and match referee David Boo talked with the all-rounder. Boon also told Moeen that while individuals are free to make political - or humanitarian - statements in their private lives, they do not enjoy such freedom while playing international cricket. After wearing the bands for the first two days of the Ageas Bowl Test, Ali was not seen sporting them for the rest of the game. <o:p></o:p>

3. Usman Khawaja<o:p></o:p>

The most recent example of ICC intervening when a player wanted to showcase something political on the field came when Usman Khawaja was stopped from wearing messages supporting Palestine on his shoes. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/usman-khawaja-to-wear-shoes-showcasing-solidarity-with-palestinians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Usman Khawaja</a>, who hails from Pakistan and is a devout Muslim, has displayed unity with those affected in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, started by Hamas infiltrating Israel.<o:p></o:p>

While Khawaja was seen sporting the messages on his shoes on the eve of the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed that the opener understood the ICC code of conduct and will not be doing so. However, Khawaja only hid the messages on his shoes with a semi-transparent tape and instead wore a black armband in solidarity with Palestine.

<o:p></o:p>4. MS Dhoni

Perhaps the biggest uproar that happened because of ICC’s ‘Clothing and Equipment Rules’, happened in World Cup 2019 when Indian captain MS Dhoni showed his respect and love for the Indian armed forces. He did so by sporting the insignia of the regimental dagger of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicketkeeping gloves. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

Dhoni wore the insignia during India’s opening match against South Africa in Southampton. After the images went viral, ICC directed BCCI to tell <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/icc-asks-bcci-to-get-the-army-insignia-symbol-removed-from-ms-dhonis-gloves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> to remove the insignia. Before the World Cup in 2019, during an ODI series between India and Australia, MS Dhoni and the Indian team had donned special camouflage caps. This was done as a mark of tribute to the loss of lives in the Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces. Even this act of MS Dhoni received backlash from Pakistan’s minister Fawad Chaudhry, who asked the ICC to take action against the former India captain.<o:p></o:p>

Political speech has never been absent from international cricket. Cricket has long been utilized for international diplomacy, which has resulted in numerous disputes and it's not surprising for a game with colonial and imperial roots. After all, the former colonies utilized cricket as a main weapon to retaliate against their colonial masters.<o:p></o:p>
Politics and cricket have crossed paths numerous times, with disastrous results. For example, the ICC's ban on South Africa during its infamous Apartheid system was a crucial way in which the country was isolated on the international scene. The civil strife in Sri Lanka nearly resulted in the non-selection of Tamil Muttiah Muralitharan, their star spinner, in 1996.<o:p></o:p>
However, there have been times when ICC intervened or overlooked such incidents when players tried to use the cricket field as a platform to give politically charged messages.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Here are some incidents when cricket became a political battleground:<o:p></o:p></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">1. Andy Flower and Henry Olonga<o:p></o:p></h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703217623160_IMG-20231222-WA0005.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Andy Flower is by far the greatest batter produced by Zimbabwe and Henry Olonga was perhaps their fastest bowler at his peak. The duo was a prime reason, why Zimbabwe was considered to be one of the most dangerous sides in the 1990s in both Tests and ODIs.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
However, when the 2003 World Cup was hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, Olonga and Andy Flower decided to use the tournament to draw attention to the atrocities committed by then-Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe. They wore black armbands during Zimbabwe’s matches in the tournament. The ICC did nothing much than a slap to their wrist, but it led to them forming the ‘Clothing and Equipment Rules.’<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">2. Moeen Ali</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703217887315_IMG-20231222-WA0007.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
In 2014, during a Test match between England and India, the host nation’s cricketer Moeen Ali decided to openly show his support for Palestine during the Gaza conflict and wore “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands. Ali said that he did it as a role model for youngsters and that he wore a long beard as he "wants people to know I am a Muslim."<o:p></o:p>
However, the ICC found this act by Moeen Ali to be against the code of conduct, and match referee David Boo talked with the all-rounder. Boon also told Moeen that while individuals are free to make political - or humanitarian - statements in their private lives, they do not enjoy such freedom while playing international cricket. After wearing the bands for the first two days of the Ageas Bowl Test, Ali was not seen sporting them for the rest of the game. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">3. Usman Khawaja<o:p></o:p></h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703218114825_IMG-20231222-WA0010.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
The most recent example of ICC intervening when a player wanted to showcase something political on the field came when Usman Khawaja was stopped from wearing messages supporting Palestine on his shoes. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/usman-khawaja-to-wear-shoes-showcasing-solidarity-with-palestinians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Usman Khawaja</a>, who hails from Pakistan and is a devout Muslim, has displayed unity with those affected in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, started by Hamas infiltrating Israel.<o:p></o:p>
While Khawaja was seen sporting the messages on his shoes on the eve of the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed that the opener understood the ICC code of conduct and will not be doing so. However, Khawaja only hid the messages on his shoes with a semi-transparent tape and instead wore a black armband in solidarity with Palestine. 
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>4. MS Dhoni</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703218281739_IMG-20231222-WA0012.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Perhaps the biggest uproar that happened because of ICC’s ‘Clothing and Equipment Rules’, happened in World Cup 2019 when Indian captain MS Dhoni showed his respect and love for the Indian armed forces. He did so by sporting the insignia of the regimental dagger of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicketkeeping gloves. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Dhoni wore the insignia during India’s opening match against South Africa in Southampton. After the images went viral, ICC directed BCCI to tell <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/icc-asks-bcci-to-get-the-army-insignia-symbol-removed-from-ms-dhonis-gloves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> to remove the insignia. Before the World Cup in 2019, during an ODI series between India and Australia, MS Dhoni and the Indian team had donned special camouflage caps. This was done as a mark of tribute to the loss of lives in the Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces. Even this act of MS Dhoni received backlash from Pakistan’s minister Fawad Chaudhry, who asked the ICC to take action against the former India captain.<o:p></o:p>

Political speech has never been absent from international cricket. Cricket has long been utilized for international diplomacy, which has resulted in numerous disputes and it's not surprising for a game with colonial and imperial roots. After all, the former colonies utilized cricket as a main weapon to retaliate against their colonial masters.<o:p></o:p>
Politics and cricket have crossed paths numerous times, with disastrous results. For example, the ICC's ban on South Africa during its infamous Apartheid system was a crucial way in which the country was isolated on the international scene. The civil strife in Sri Lanka nearly resulted in the non-selection of Tamil Muttiah Muralitharan, their star spinner, in 1996.<o:p></o:p>
However, there have been times when ICC intervened or overlooked such incidents when players tried to use the cricket field as a platform to give politically charged messages.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Here are some incidents when cricket became a political battleground:<o:p></o:p></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">1. Andy Flower and Henry Olonga<o:p></o:p></h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703217623160_IMG-20231222-WA0005.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
Andy Flower is by far the greatest batter produced by Zimbabwe and Henry Olonga was perhaps their fastest bowler at his peak. The duo was a prime reason, why Zimbabwe was considered to be one of the most dangerous sides in the 1990s in both Tests and ODIs.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
However, when the 2003 World Cup was hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, Olonga and Andy Flower decided to use the tournament to draw attention to the atrocities committed by then-Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe. They wore black armbands during Zimbabwe’s matches in the tournament. The ICC did nothing much than a slap to their wrist, but it led to them forming the ‘Clothing and Equipment Rules.’<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">2. Moeen Ali</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703217887315_IMG-20231222-WA0007.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
In 2014, during a Test match between England and India, the host nation’s cricketer Moeen Ali decided to openly show his support for Palestine during the Gaza conflict and wore “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands. Ali said that he did it as a role model for youngsters and that he wore a long beard as he "wants people to know I am a Muslim."<o:p></o:p>
However, the ICC found this act by Moeen Ali to be against the code of conduct, and match referee David Boo talked with the all-rounder. Boon also told Moeen that while individuals are free to make political - or humanitarian - statements in their private lives, they do not enjoy such freedom while playing international cricket. After wearing the bands for the first two days of the Ageas Bowl Test, Ali was not seen sporting them for the rest of the game. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">3. Usman Khawaja<o:p></o:p></h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703218114825_IMG-20231222-WA0010.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
The most recent example of ICC intervening when a player wanted to showcase something political on the field came when Usman Khawaja was stopped from wearing messages supporting Palestine on his shoes. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/usman-khawaja-to-wear-shoes-showcasing-solidarity-with-palestinians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Usman Khawaja</a>, who hails from Pakistan and is a devout Muslim, has displayed unity with those affected in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, started by Hamas infiltrating Israel.<o:p></o:p>
While Khawaja was seen sporting the messages on his shoes on the eve of the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed that the opener understood the ICC code of conduct and will not be doing so. However, Khawaja only hid the messages on his shoes with a semi-transparent tape and instead wore a black armband in solidarity with Palestine. 
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>4. MS Dhoni</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1703218281739_IMG-20231222-WA0012.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
Perhaps the biggest uproar that happened because of ICC’s ‘Clothing and Equipment Rules’, happened in World Cup 2019 when Indian captain MS Dhoni showed his respect and love for the Indian armed forces. He did so by sporting the insignia of the regimental dagger of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicketkeeping gloves. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Dhoni wore the insignia during India’s opening match against South Africa in Southampton. After the images went viral, ICC directed BCCI to tell <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/icc-asks-bcci-to-get-the-army-insignia-symbol-removed-from-ms-dhonis-gloves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> to remove the insignia. Before the World Cup in 2019, during an ODI series between India and Australia, MS Dhoni and the Indian team had donned special camouflage caps. This was done as a mark of tribute to the loss of lives in the Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces. Even this act of MS Dhoni received backlash from Pakistan’s minister Fawad Chaudhry, who asked the ICC to take action against the former India captain.<o:p></o:p>

Political speech has never been absent from international cricket. Cricket has long been utilized for international diplomacy, which has resulted in numerous disputes and it's not surprising for a gam

4 Times when cricketers challenged ICC's political limits

Incidents when Players weren't allowed to sport political statements on a cricket field.

Four instances when cricketers challenged ICC's political guidelines

Check out the four incidents where cricketers breached or violated the ICC's political guidelines in international cricket.