AUS vs PAK: Usman Khawaja wears pro-Palestine black armband after shoe controversy

Usman Khawaja donned a black armband and covered his shoes with semi-transparent tape bearing messages in support of people in Gaza on the first day of the opening Test between Australia and Pakistan in Perth.

Khawaja, a Muslim born in Pakistan, had originally intended to wear the shoes displaying the hand-written messages "Freedom is a human right" and "All lives are equal" during the match.

However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules on messages during matches, specifically those related to politics, religion, or race, prevented the Australia opener from doing so. Cricket Australia, in adherence to these rules, urged players to comply. The southpaw, expressing his frustration, covered the slogans with tape, making the words visible only in close-up, colored in the shades of the Palestinian flag.

The conflict in Gaza, triggered by Hamas raids into Israel on October 7 resulting in the loss of 1,200 lives, had prompted Khawaja's symbolic act. Cricket Australia mentioned that he wore the armband in alignment with a UNICEF video he shared on Instagram, shedding light on the situation in Gaza. He had commented on the same video saying, "Do people not care about innocent humans being killed?"

Khawaja calls out ICC

The 36-year-old voiced his dissatisfaction with the ICC's regulations, pointing out the perceived double standards when players had expressed support for other political movements without facing sanctions. The talented batter, known for his elegant strokes and composed approach on the pitch, thus found a unique way to convey his humanitarian message within the constraints of cricketing regulations.

“I just think that so much has happened in the past that sets a precedent. I mean full support of Black Lives Matter. There’s plenty of guys have written on their shoes before. Other guys that have religious things on their equipment, under the ICC guidelines that’s not technically allowed but the ICC never says anything on that. I find it a little disappointing that they came down hard on me but they don’t always come down hard on everyone else. That was probably the most frustrating part,” said Khawaja as quoted by Fox Cricket.