ICC rejected Usman Khawaja ‘s appeal, what will happen next?
Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja, 37, is the first Muslim cricketer to play Test for Australia. A report in the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday quoted sources as saying that ‘Usman Khawaja was reprimanded by the ICC for wearing a black armband on the field during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth. The ICC has rejected the appeal to lift the ban against him.
According to ICC these are the rules :-
Under ICC rules, cricketers cannot display any political, religious or racist message during international matches. But on the death of former players, family members or any important person, a black band can be worn with prior permission.
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ICC spokesperson said: –
An ICC spokesperson had then said, “Usman Khawaja gave a personal message (black armband) in the first match against Pakistan without seeking permission from Cricket Australia and the ICC. This falls under the other violation category and as a first offense he has been reprimanded.
Earlier, when Khawaja came out for a practice session on December 13, his batting shoes had ‘All Lives are Equal’ and ‘Freedom is a Human Right’ written on them. Khawaja had then said, “The ICC had asked me on the second day of the Perth Test why I was wearing a black armband and I had said it was because of personal mourning. I didn’t say anything other than that.”
Usman Khawaja had said on this :-
Usman Khawaja said, “I respect ICC and its rules. I will challenge this decision. The issue of shoes was different. I felt good saying that but there is no point in being reprimanded about the armband.” He said he had no hidden agenda when he came for the practice session. The slogans written on his shoes, however, point towards the ongoing war in Gaza.
He further said, “I had no agenda. I wanted to shed light on what I stand for and I did so in a respectful manner. I’ve been thinking about what I wrote about shoes for a long time. I kept religion beyond this. I was talking about the issue of humanity.
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