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Australia opener Usman Khawaja faced a setback as his appeal against the International Cricket Council's (ICC) sanction for wearing a black armband during the opening Test against Pakistan was rejected on December 7. The ICC reprimanded Khawaja last month for wearing the black armband to mourn children affected by the Israel-Palestine conflict since October last year.
The 37-year-old, born in Pakistan and the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia, had challenged the reprimand, stating the armband was for personal bereavement.
However, a report in Sydney Morning Herald on December 7 said that "Usman Khawaja’s reprimand for wearing a black armband onto the field during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth will stand after the International Cricket Council rejected his appeal against the sanction..." It was "according to a source close to the situation who wished to remain anonymous ahead of any public announcement being made".
ICC regulations prohibit cricketers from showcasing messages related to political, religious, or racial causes during international matches. However, players can wear black armbands to commemorate the deaths of former players, family members, or other noteworthy individuals, provided they obtain prior permission from the governing body. The ICC stated that Khawaja failed to secure the necessary permission from Cricket Australia or the ICC.
"Usman displayed a personal message (armband) during the first test match against Pakistan without seeking the prior approval of Cricket Australia and the ICC to display it, as required in the regulations for personal messages,” ICC statement had said.
"This is a breach under the category of an other breach' and the sanction for a first offense is a reprimand."
The 37-year-old attended a training session on December 13 with "all lives are equal" and "freedom is a human right" written on his batting spikes. He purportedly intended to wear them during the inaugural Test.
"The ICC asked me day two (of the Perth Test) what (the black armband) was for, I told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never ever stated it was for anything else," Khawaja had said.
"I respect the ICC and all the regulations they have, I will be asking them and contesting them … From my point of view, that consistency hasn't been done yet. The shoes were for a different matter, I'm happy to say that, but the armband (reprimand) made no sense to me," he added.
Khawaja refuted having any 'hidden agendas’ when he showed up for a training session with messages inscribed on his batting spikes, which were seemingly related to the conflict in Gaza.
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