LONDON: Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has vowed to challenge an International Cricket Council directive that prohibits him from wearing shoes with messages deemed “political” during the upcoming first Test against Pakistan, The Telegraph reported.
During training in Perth on Tuesday, Khawaja was seen wearing spikes featuring the phrases “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right,” in solidarity with the Palestinians suffering under Israel’s war on Gaza.
The two-month-long campaign of airstrikes and ground assaults in Gaza has killed more than 18,500 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian officials.
Khawaja, who was the first Muslim cricketer to represent Australia, had planned to wear these shoes in the first Test starting on Thursday. However, ICC rules allow the match referee to bar players from the field for wearing attire that violates regulations.
While Khawaja has accepted the ICC’s decision for now, he is committed to overturning it and aims to wear the shoes during Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test, The Telegraph reported.
He took to social media to voice his opinion, stating, “The ICC have told me I can’t wear my shoes on field because they believe it’s a political statement under their guidelines,” Khawaja said on social media. “I don’t believe it is so, it’s a humanitarian appeal. I will respect their view and decision, but I will fight it and seek to gain approval. Freedom is a human right, and all lives are equal. I will never stop believing that, whether you agree with me or not.”
He further elaborated on the motivation behind his shoes, emphasizing his view that the message is not political but a stand for equality and human rights.
“Let’s be honest about it, if me saying all lives are equal has resulted in people being offended to the point where they’re calling me up and telling me off, well isn’t that the bigger problem? These people obviously don’t believe in what I’ve written. It’s not just a handful of people. You’d be shocked at how many feel this way.
“What I’ve written on my shoes isn’t political, I’m not taking sides, human life to me is equal. One Jewish life is equal to one Muslim life, is equal to one Hindu life, and so on. I’m just speaking up for those who don’t have a voice. This is close to my heart. When I see thousands of innocent children dying without any repercussions or remorse, I imagine my two girls.
“What if this was them. No one chooses where they’re born. Then I see the world turn their backs on them, my heart can’t take it. I already feel my life wasn’t equal to others when I was growing up. Luckily for me I never lived in a world where a lack of equality was life or death.”
The ICC has previously stepped in to prevent players from carrying what it deems to be political messages. In 2014, England’s Moeen Ali was banned from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands in a Test against India.
Khawaja’s stance has garnered support from his teammates. Travis Head, Australia’s vice-captain, showed solidarity on X, formerly Twitter, posting: “We stand with Usman Khawaja! All lives are Equal.”
Captain Pat Cummins had earlier said: “Uzzie doesn’t want to make too big of a fuss. On his shoes, he had, ‘All lives are equal.’ I think that’s not very divisive. I don’t think anyone can really have too many complaints about that.”
