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- Khawaja wore spikes featuring the phrases 鈥渁ll lives are equal鈥� and 鈥渇reedom is a human right,鈥� in solidarity with Gaza
LONDON: Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has vowed to challenge an International Cricket Council directive that prohibits him from wearing shoes with messages deemed 鈥減olitical鈥� during the upcoming first Test against Pakistan, The Telegraph reported.
During training in Perth on Tuesday, Khawaja was seen wearing spikes featuring the phrases 鈥渁ll lives are equal鈥� and 鈥渇reedom is a human right,鈥� in solidarity with the Palestinians suffering under Israel鈥檚 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鈥檚 decision for now, he is committed to overturning it and aims to wear the shoes during Melbourne鈥檚 Boxing Day Test, The Telegraph reported.
He took to social media to voice his opinion, stating, 鈥淭he ICC have told me I can鈥檛 wear my shoes on field because they believe it鈥檚 a political statement under their guidelines,鈥� Khawaja said on social media. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe it is so, it鈥檚 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.鈥�
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.
鈥淟et鈥檚 be honest about it, if me saying all lives are equal has resulted in people being offended to the point where they鈥檙e calling me up and telling me off, well isn鈥檛 that the bigger problem? These people obviously don鈥檛 believe in what I鈥檝e written. It鈥檚 not just a handful of people. You鈥檇 be shocked at how many feel this way.
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e written on my shoes isn鈥檛 political, I鈥檓 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鈥檓 just speaking up for those who don鈥檛 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.
鈥淲hat if this was them. No one chooses where they鈥檙e born. Then I see the world turn their backs on them, my heart can鈥檛 take it. I already feel my life wasn鈥檛 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.鈥�
The ICC has previously stepped in to prevent players from carrying what it deems to be political messages. In 2014, England鈥檚 Moeen Ali was banned from wearing 鈥淪ave Gaza鈥� and 鈥淔ree Palestine鈥� wristbands in a Test against India.
Khawaja鈥檚 stance has garnered support from his teammates. Travis Head, Australia鈥檚 vice-captain, showed solidarity on X, formerly Twitter, posting: 鈥淲e stand with Usman Khawaja! All lives are Equal.鈥�
Captain Pat Cummins had earlier said: 鈥淯zzie doesn鈥檛 want to make too big of a fuss. On his shoes, he had, 鈥楢ll lives are equal.鈥� I think that鈥檚 not very divisive. I don鈥檛 think anyone can really have too many complaints about that.鈥�