Usman Khawaja during training© AFP
Australian Usman Khawaja has been denied permission to place a peace symbol on his bat and boots for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, reports said on Sunday. A sticker featuring a black dove and the words 01:UDHR – a reference to article one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – was on his bat and shoes during training in Melbourne on Sunday. The star batsman had several meetings with Cricket Australia in recent days to find a posting that would suit the second Test this week, local media said. But his latest humanitarian gesture has been rejected by the International Cricket Committee, The Australian and Melbourne Age newspapers reported. The ICC was not immediately available for comment.
Khawaja, a Muslim, was banned from wearing shoes with the handwritten slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the first Test in Perth.
The 36-year-old wanted to show his support for the people of Gaza.
But he was told they were ignoring ICC rules on messages relating to politics, religion or race.
He wore a black armband during the match and was reprimanded by the ICC, but afterwards insisted it was a “personal loss” and vowed to challenge the ruling.
Khawaja spoke Friday about the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on him, saying he felt despair at seeing the number of children killed.
“When I look at my Instagram and see innocent children, videos of them dying, passing away, that's what hit me the hardest,” he said.
“I have no agenda other than to try to shed light on what I really feel passionately and strongly about.”
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