Australian Captain Cummins Strongly Backs Usman Khawaja Amid ICC Decision
The Australian captain expresses strong support for Uzzy.
Australian captain Pat Cummins supports his teammate Usman Khawaja’s comments on Gaza, describing them as “not offensive” and an effort to highlight the humanitarian crisis.
Yesterday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) refused Usman Khawaja permission to display a peace symbol on his bat and shoes in the Boxing Day match against Pakistan.
During the first Test in Perth, the 36-year-old, who is a Muslim, was prevented from wearing shoes with handwritten slogans that read “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal.”
The ICC mentioned that the messages on the shoes violated their rules regarding statements related to politics, religion, or race.
“We strongly support Uzzy. He’s standing up for his beliefs, and I believe he’s handled it very respectfully,” Cummins told reporters on the eve of the Melbourne Test.
“As I mentioned last week, ‘All lives are equal.’ I don’t find that very offensive, and I feel the same way about the dove,” Cummins stated.
“That’s Uzzy. I think he can be proud of how he has handled it.
“But there are rules in place, and I believe the ICC has stated they won’t approve that. Rules are made, and we have to accept them,” Cummins remarked.
Khawaja wore a black armband during the Perth Test and faced a reprimand from the ICC. However, he clarified that it was for a “personal bereavement” and not politically motivated.
He shared last week about how the Israel-Hamas conflict had impacted him.
“When I’m on my Instagram and I see videos of innocent kids dying, passing away, that’s what affects me the most,” he said.”
“I don’t have any agendas other than trying to bring attention to something I feel very passionately and strongly about.”
