The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said no to Australian opener Usman Khawaja’s fresh gesture for the people of Palestine ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan.
The match will start on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Khawaja, a Muslim, was stopped from wearing shoes emblazoned with the hand-written slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the first Test in Perth.
An image of a black dove holding an olive branch was spotted on the Khawaja’s right shoe and the back of his bat during a net session on Sunday.
Read more: Australia’s Usman Khawaja wears black armband in muted Gaza protest
The 36-year-old wanted to wear shoes with the messages ‘All lives are equal’ and ‘Freedom is a human right’ during the first Test in Perth, but the ICC threatened to ban him if he goes ahead with the slogans. Nevertheless, Usman wore a black armband in the game, leading to a warning from the ICC. The southpaw rejected the governing body’s claim and said that it was for personal bereavement.
Meanwhile, the veteran was given green signal by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association to carry the logo of black dove but the ICC rejected it on Sunday.
