In reaction to ICC International Cricket Council (ICC) rejecting his application seeking permission to raise awareness about humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Australian cricketer Usman Khwaja’s lashed out at the apex cricket body for their ‘double standards’.
The batter had requested to demonstrate ‘peace‘ by displaying a dove with an olive branch on his bat and shoes during the Boxing Day test match against Pakistan on Sunday.
Earlier, the ICC had restricted the athlete from wearing shoes that had “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” text on them. However, this time, Khwaja felt that instead of a written message, he would be allowed to display a picture denoting peace.
After he was disappointed by the ICC’s rejection, the Aussie batter posted on social media, underscoring the “double standards” of the body. He shared a video that showed an eagle and a bible verse on his teammate, Marnus Labuschagne’s bat, and ‘Om (a Hindu religious proverb)’ on South African all-rounder Keshav Maharaj’s bat.
Khwaja wrote in the caption, “Merry Christmas, everybody. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. C’ya on Boxing Day! #inconsistent #double standards.”
Capt. Pat Cummins backs Khwaja
When Australian Captain Pat Cumin’s was asked about his opinion on the ICC’s stance, he claimed that Khwaja’s message was not “very offensive.”
“We really support Uzzy (Usman Khwaja). I think he’s standing up for what he believes, and I think he’s doing it really respectfully. All lives are equal, and I don’t think that’s very offensive, and I’d say the same about the dove. That’s Uzzy (Usman Khwaja). He can hold his head high the way he’s gone about it, but there are rules in place, so I believe the ICC has said they’re not going to approve that. They make up the rules, and you’ve got to accept them,” Cummins said.
