Key Points
- Usman Khawaja has been trying to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
- The ICC has repeatedly denied his requests to wear slogans or symbols the body deems "political".
- Khawaja has accused the ICC of "double standards" in how they enforce regulations.
The drama unfolding between Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been centre stage in the sporting world this month.
Khawaja has been on a mission to play matches while sporting symbols and slogans he says are a plea for human rights to be respected in Gaza and a protest against the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The ICC, citing its code of conduct, has repeatedly denied Khawaja's requests to openly wear his modified kit while playing, reprimanding him for wearing a black armband while playing the first Test in Perth.
Khawaja has accused the ICC of double standards, referencing other players who have sported symbols on their kit or bat without issue.
Many in the cricketing world have come out in support of Khawaja's ongoing push against the ICC, including teammates past and present — but others say a player should keep such statements off the pitch when representing their country.
How did it all start?
Khawaja was spotted wearing shoes with the slogans "all lives are equal" and "freedom is a human right" written on the sides in the colours of the Palestinian flag in early December while practising with his teammates prior to the first Test in Perth against Pakistan.
His plan to wear the shoes in the match was denied by the ICC.
In a December 13 post on X, formerly Twitter, Khawaja uploaded a video post explaining his views. He said that his statement was a "humanitarian appeal", and that it wasn't political and he wasn't taking sides.
"It doesn't matter what race, religion or culture you are ... human life, to me, is equal," he said.
The video, now viewed more than five million times, ignited a firestorm of controversy online as fans, players, critics, pundits and politicians weighed in.
Khawaja's teammates chimed in on his behalf, with Test vice-captain Travis Head voicing support on social media and captain Pat Cummings telling media he was "proud of Uzzy" for standing up for what he believed in.
Eventually, Khawaja took to the pitch with the slogans on his shoes taped over, but later in the Test against Pakistan on 14 December, he sported a black armband — for which he received a formal reprimand from the ICC.
Khawaja said that, while he respects the ICC's rules, he will contest the charge and requested "consistency" in how the governing body applies its regulations.
"I will be asking them and contesting they make it fair and equitable for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate," he said. "That consistency hasn't been done yet."
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Khawaja planned to wear a symbol of peace — a dove — on his shoes and bat along with a reference to the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but that too was rejected by the ICC.
In a Christmas Day Instagram post, Khawaja took aim at the organisation for its "double standards", with a video highlighting its regulations, followed by images of other cricket players sporting symbols on their bats.
Cummins again came to Khawaja's defence, telling the media he saw no difference between his teammate's "pretty vanilla" dove symbol and the eagle and Bible verse Marnus Labuschagne has on his bat.
Khawaja has since been spotted wearing the names of his daughters written on the side of his shoes.
What does the ICC say?
The ICC code of conduct is similar to FIFA's, which forbids players from displaying any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images unless the body has given its approval.
When it handed down the reprimand to Khawaja for his black armband, the organisation said he "displayed a personal message [armband] during the first Test match against Pakistan without seeking the prior approval of Cricket Australia and the ICC to display it, as required in the regulations for personal messages".
"This is a breach under the category of an 'other breach' and the sanction for a first [offence] is a reprimand."
Khawaja said the armband was not a political symbol but instead represented "personal bereavement".
During the ongoing dispute, Khawaja and his supporters have pointed out there have been other instances where players have made their views known without issue.
West Indies players were permitted to wear "Black Lives Matter" logos on their shirts during a Test series against England in 2020.
However, the ICC has banned slogans before as well. In 2014, England player Moeen Ali was banned from wearing wristbands that said "Save Gaza" and "Free Palestine" during a match against India.
