MELBOURNE, Australia: Australia’s Usman Khawaja wore shoes marked with his daughters’ names as he batted in the second Test against Pakistan on Tuesday, after being banned from wearing references to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
A close-up photo of the 37-year-old’s shoes showed the names of Usman Khawaja’s daughters Aisha and Ayla taped to the side of his footwear during the opening day of the second Test in Melbourne.
Khawaja, who scored 42, had been denied permission by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to have a sticker showing a black dove holding an olive branch on his bat and shoes during the match.
The logo, which he displayed during a training session on Sunday, also had the words 01:UDHR — a clear reference to Article 01 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — written on it.
Khawaja, a Muslim, had earlier been banned from wearing boots with the handwritten slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the first Test in Perth.
The ICC said they had breached its rules on reports that touch on politics, religion or race.
Khawaja posted a message on Instagram on Monday, seemingly venting his frustration: “Merry Christmas everyone. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. Cya on Boxing Day!”
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He tagged his post with the hashtags #inconsistent and #doublestandards.
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said Khawaja was “passionate about human rights”.
“We supported Usman with an application (to the ICC) that really felt non-partisan, non-religious, apolitical,” he told ABC television about Khawaja’s push to wear the dove symbol.
“Also, the ICC has its regulations and they are there for a good reason, so we have to respect them.
“But I think the main way we deal with this (type of problem) is through good communication and cooperation.”
Last week, Khawaja spoke about how the conflict between Israel and Hamas has affected him.
“When I look at my Instagram and see innocent children, videos of them dying, dying, that’s what hit me the most,” he said.
“I’m just imagining my little daughter in my arms… Again, I’m talking about this emotionally. I have no hidden agendas.” The ICC has been contacted for comment.
