Aussie cricketer Usman Khawaja has been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for wearing a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan on Dec. 21.
Under ICC regulations, cricketers cannot display political, religious, or racial messages without approval.
The cricketer wore a black armband during the entire Test on day one—black armbands are commonly worn by athletes making political statements.
In turn, Mr. Khawaja claims the armband was worn due to a personal matter.
The ICC’s actions come after Mr. Khawaja was barred from wearing footwear that displayed personal statements about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
On Dec. 12, Mr. Khawaja was seen training with boots that read, “All lives are equal,” and “Freedom is a human right.” The messages referred to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
In response to the charge, Mr. Khawaja said he would contest it and that he would not wear the black armband again during the Boxing Day Test.
Mr. Khawaja can either accept the charge and continue to play, or face additional sanctions if he sticks by his statement.
“They [ICC] asked me on day two what it (black armband) was for and told them it was for a personal bereavement,” Mr. Khawaja said on Dec. 22.
“I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I’m happy to say that.
“But the armband [decision] makes no sense to me.”
He said that he respected the ICC regulations but wanted the rules to be “fair and equitable for everyone.”
Mr. Khawaja criticised the ICC for not banning other players who had written political messages on their items, such as messages in support of Black Lives Matter.
“Guys have put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes, and all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded,” said Mr. Khawaja. “From my point of view, that consistency hasn’t been done yet.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the ICC said Mr. Khawaja had displayed a “personal message” in the Test without seeking approval from the ICC and Cricket Australia (CA), reported Reuters.
ICC, Cricket Australia Working With Khawaja to Find a Solution
Cricket Australia’s chief executive, Nick Hockley, said the governing body was working with the ICC and Mr. Khawaja on a way he can share his message.“The work that we’ve been doing since is to see if there’s a really respectful way that is very much unifying, brings people together, to allow Uzzy to really share his message and that’s the subject now of ICC consideration,” Mr. Hockley said.
Mr. Khawaja said CA had been supportive during the whole ordeal, and reiterated his support for Gaza.
“I told Nick [Hockley] literally just this morning that when I look at my Instagram and I’m seeing kids, innocent kids, videos of them dying, passing away, that’s what’s hit me the hardest,” he said.
“I just imagine my young daughter in my arms ... I get emotional talking about it again. I don’t have any hidden agendas, if anything this brings up more negativity towards me.”
On Dec. 13, Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells backed Mr. Khawaja, saying that his message was “respectful” and did not compromise the team’s obligations to the ICC.
Mr. Khawaja, the first Muslim to represent Australia in international cricket, has been public about his concerns about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the cricketer’s statement was “pretty uncontroversial.”
“‘All lives are equal’ is a sentiment that I think is uncontroversial, and I think that he’s someone who plays a really important role for Australian cricket. Usman Khawaja made his position clear, which is he didn’t see it as a political statement,” he told reporters on Dec. 22.
