(Image Source: Instagram)
[Saba Sports News] Australian opener Usman Khawaja criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for inconsistency after they disallowed him to display a black dove with an olive branch on his shoes in the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Pakistan starting Tuesday, December 26. Khawaja has been advocating for permission from the ICC to honor the lives lost in Gaza during international matches.
Despite his efforts, the ICC, adhering to their policy against displaying political, religious, or racial messages on the field, rejected his request to feature the black dove emblem on his shoe and bat. Highlighting this perceived inconsistency, Khawaja shared a video on Instagram showing instances where players displayed religious symbols on their bats, including Nicholas Pooran’s cross symbol, Marnus Labuschagne’s eagle and bible verse, and Keshav Maharaj’s ‘Om’ symbol.
In his video caption, Khawaja pointed out the double standards with a message, “Merry Christmas everybody. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. Cya at Boxing Day! #inconsistent #doublestandards.”
Previously, Khawaja had planned to wear shoes with the messages “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, but the ICC did not allow it. Instead, he wore a black armband to commemorate the children who died in Gaza, a move that also drew ICC’s scrutiny for not seeking prior permission.
Amid this controversy, Australian captain Pat Cummins has shown support for Khawaja’s stance while acknowledging the importance of respecting ICC’s regulations.