Australian skipper Pat Cummins has backed his teammate Usman Khawaja for his views on Gaza, terming them “not offensive” and a bid to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis.
A day earlier, Khawaja was denied permission by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to use a peace symbol on his bat and shoes during the Boxing Day match against Pakistan.
The cricketer was seen sporting a sticker on his bat and shoes showing a black dove holding an olive branch and the words 01:UDHR — a reference to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — during a practice session ahead of the second Test match.
The 36-year-old, a Muslim, was stopped from wearing shoes emblazoned with the hand-written slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the first Test in Perth.
The ICC said they flouted its rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.
“We really support Uzzy. He’s standing up for what he believes and I think he’s done it really respectfully,” Cummins told reporters on the eve of the Test in Melbourne.
“As I said last week, ‘All lives are equal’, I don’t think that’s very offensive and I’d say the same about the dove.
“That’s Uzzy. I think he can really hold his head high with the way he’s gone about it.
“But obviously there’s rules in place and I believe the ICC have said they´re not going to approve that. They make up the rules and you’ve got to accept it.”
Khawaja wore a black armband during the Perth Test and was reprimanded by the ICC, but insisted it was for a “personal bereavement” and not politically motivated.
Last week, he spoke about how the Israel-Hamas conflict had affected him.
“When I’m looking at my Instagram and seeing innocent kids, videos of them dying, passing away, that’s what hit me the hardest,” he said.
“I don’t have any agendas other than trying to shine a light on what I feel really passionately, really strongly about.” — Agencies
