ICC punishes Usman Khawaja for sporting black armband in support of Palestine without permission in Perth Test

Ahead of Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground against Pakistan, Australian opener Usman Khawaja has faced sanction from the ICC for sporting black armband without permission.

Profile

SportsTak Desk

Usman Khawaja sporting black armband during Perth Test against Pakistan (Getty Images)

Usman Khawaja sporting black armband during Perth Test against Pakistan (Getty Images)

Highlights:

Usman Khawaja scored a half-century in the second innings of the Perth Test.

Khawaja had said that he would fight ICC for not allowing him to wear shoes with messages written on them.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the regulations as he wore a black armband in the first Test against Pakistan in Perth without getting approval from the apex cricket board.
 

Khawaja was not allowed to wear the shoes he sported during training with "all lives are equal" and "freedom is a human right" messages to support Gaza. 

 

Follow the Sports Tak channel on WhatsApp
 

"Usman Khawaja has been charged for breaching Clause F of the Clothing and Equipment Regulations, which can be found on the ICC Playing Conditions page. The sanctions for a breach of the regulations are outlined in Appendix 2," an ICC spokesperson said.
 

"Usman displayed a personal message (arm band) during the 1st 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. This is a breach under the category of an "other breach" and the sanction for a first offence is a reprimand," the statement added.
 

Khawaja contributed with scores of 41 and 90 in the first and second innings respectively against the Shan Masood-led side in the series opener. Australia beat Pakistan by a big margin of 360 runs. 
 

The ICC's clothing and equipment regulations state: "Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey personal messages on their clothing, equipment or otherwise, irrespective of whether such messages are affixed to clothing, equipment or otherwise and whether such messages are displayed or conveyed through the use of the specific clothing or other items (eg. an arm band) or by the use of words, symbol, graphic message, images or otherwise ('personal messages'), unless approved in advance by both the player or team official's board and the ICC Cricket Operations Department. Approval shall not be granted for messages which relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes."
 

Despite the sanction, Khawaja is not doubtful for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 37-year-old is likely to make a statement on December 22 as Australia begin their preparations for the second Test of the series. 
 

MORE ON SPORTS TAK: 
2 minutes 28 seconds long footage shows Tom Curran intimidating umpire before BBL game that led to four-match ban

Sanju Samson scores maiden ODI hundred 8 years and 5 months after international debut, joins Virat Kohli on this list

    Share