Cricket Australia, the governing body of cricket in Australia, has issued a statement where they have placed the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules above the personal opinions of CA-contracted players.
CA said that they support the right of their players to express personal opinions, but the ICC has rules in place that prohibit the display of personal messages which they expect the players to uphold.
The statement came before the start of the first Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Perth Stadium on 14 December 2023. It was expected that Australian opener Usman Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad, would wear an ‘All Lives Are Equal’ tag on his shoes which would indicate his support for the Palestinian cause.
“Expect adherence to rules from our players,” CA further added. Thus, it looks highly unlikely that Khawaja will wear any of the tags he was planning.
By religion, Khawaja is a Muslim, and showing support for the Palestinian cause isn’t something unexpected from him. He has a religious family, which can be seen in many interviews he gives to CA and other international media.
Source: Pro Pakistani