Tag: Usman Khawaja

Australia’s left-handed opener Usman Khawaja shared his opinion on Babar Azam’s future as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the former champions’ dismal run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Khawaja, while addressing the media, at an event in Melbourne on Monday, threw his weight behind Babar to continue leading the Green Shirts in white-ball cricket.

“It’s Babar Azam’s decision to captain, if he can, he should,” stated Usman Khawaja.

The Pakistan-born Australian cricketer also pointed out the lack of stability in Pakistan Cricket, stating such uncertainty makes it difficult for the players to perform.

“When I look from the outside, changes are constant in the Pakistan cricket. Selection committee, staff and players keep changing,” said Khawaja.

“Such a situation is difficult because stability is very important. When there is no stability, it is difficult for players to perform. Pakistan cricket team never sees stability,” he added.

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It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam has been under hot water following the national men’s team’s early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

Pakistan had a disastrous start to their campaign as they suffered a shock loss against the co-host United States of America (USA) after a Super Over.

The 2009 champions then succumbed to a gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India at a jam-packed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.

The back-to-back defeats put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit and despite their victories over Canada and Ireland, they failed to reach the Super Eights stage.

READ: PCB makes major decision to prioritize domestic cricket

Left-handed opener Usman Khawaja lauded Afghanistan on their historic victory over Australia but expressed regret over not seeing them playing in his country.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Khawaja congratulated Afghanistan on beating Australia in the Super Eights fixture of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

The opening batter did not shy from terming Afghanistan “the better team on the day” before expressing his contradiction with Cricket Australia’s (CA) decision against playing the bilateral series with the Asian side.

“Well done Brother. Better team on the day. You boys are an inspiration for so many back home and abroad. So sad we can’t see you all play in Australia,” Usman Khawaja wrote.

For the unversed, the CA has thrice postponed a bilateral fixture or a series with Afghanistan, citing restrictions on women’s rights in the country.

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In 2021, Australia postponed the one-off Test against Afghanistan, scheduled to be played in Hobart before withdrawing from an ODI series, supposed to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in March 2023.

The postponement drew massive outbursts from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Afghan players but the CA remained firm on the stance.

In March 2024, the CA, in consultation with the Australian government, made the decision to shelve the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and stated that it would continue to engage with the ACB in “anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country”.

“Over the past twelve months, CA has continued to consult with the Australian Government on the situation in Afghanistan. The government’s advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse. For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan,” stated CA.

READ: Afghanistan’s win over Australia spices up Group 1 semi-final race

Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja has extended his support for teammate Glenn Maxwell, expressing optimism that the all-rounder will showcase his top form in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, despite his recent performance in the IPL.

Maxwell represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the recently concluded IPL, where he managed a meagre 52 runs in nine innings.

However, Khawaja backed Maxwell, calling IPL form ‘irrelevant.’ He expressed hope that the all-rounder will bounce back during the mega-event.

“The IPL form is absolutely irrelevant. Maxy’s proven himself time and time again. Any player who’s performed over a long period of time understands that you can’t perform well every time you go out there,” Khawaja said while speaking to the West Australian.

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The experienced opener acknowledged the high-risk nature of T20 cricket, where the middle-order batters often need to maintain higher strike rates. However, Usman Khawaja expressed confidence that Glenn Maxwell only requires one innings to regain his form.

“You take a few risks, particularly if you bat in the middle order, and T20 cricket’s not easy. But [for this tournament] if he gets one good innings, he’s away. It doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past. He’s not going to change his game and nor should he. Just keep going. He’ll find it,” Khawaja added.

Maxwell did not participate in Australia’s first T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up fixture against Namibia yesterday, along with Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green, and Marcus Stoinis. These players were participating in IPL and expected to link up with the team soon.

Australia will face co-hosts West Indies in their final warm-up match on Thursday at the same venue.

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Australia opener Usman Khawaja was made to remove the dove sticker, which symbolises world peace, on his bat during the third day of the ongoing first Test against host New Zealand.

The incident took place in the 19th over of Australia’s second innings. Usman Khawaja, who has been a vocal critic of the Israel-Palestine conflict, batter broke his blade and asked for its replacement.

After going through different bats, he picked one and it had the “dove” logo on it. The officials stepped in and asked the cricketer to remove it.

It is pertinent to mention that the opening batter wanted to wear shoes emblazoned with the hand-written slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” in the first Test of the three-match series against Pakistan in December.

But he was told that it flouted International Cricket Council (ICC) rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.

When Cricket Australia (CA) expressed their hopes that the opener would uphold the rules, Usman Khawaja covered the slogans with a semi-transparent tape.

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However, the words written on his shoes remained partially visible — only in close-up — in the colour of the Palestinian flag.

Later, Khawaja donned a black armband to show solidarity with Palestine.

But he was still charged by the apex cricketing body for staging a muted protest against the ongoing war in Palestine.

Usman Khawaja vowed to fight the ban on his footwear, calling it “a humanitarian appeal”.

He doubled down on his stance just before going in to bat in the first Test.

“I just think that so much has happened in the past that sets a precedent,” Khawaja told Fox Cricket.

“Other guys that have religious things on their equipment, under the ICC guidelines that’s not technically allowed, but the ICC never says anything on that,” he added.

Australian captain Pat Cummins said he was “really proud” of his teammate and of other squad members who had spoken up for what they believe in.

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MELBOURNE: Australia’s Usman Khawaja wore shoes marked with his daughters’ names as he batted against Pakistan on Tuesday during the Boxing Day Test at MCG, after being banned from wearing references to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

Usman Khawaja’s shoes were marked with the names of his daughters Aisha and Ayla taped to the side during the opening day of the second Test in Melbourne.

Khawaja, who was out for 42, had been denied permission by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to have a sticker showing a black dove holding an olive branch on his bat and shoes during the match.

The logo, which he displayed during training on Sunday, also had the words 01:UDHR — a reference to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — written on it.

Khawaja, a Muslim, was previously 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.

The ICC said they flouted its rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.

Khawaja posted an Instagram message on Monday seemingly venting his frustration: “Merry Christmas everybody. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. Cya at Boxing Day!”

He marked his post with the hashtags #inconsistent and #doublestandards.

 

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A post shared by Usman Khawaja (@usman_khawajy)

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said Khawaja was “passionate about human rights”.

“We supported Usman with an application (to the ICC) which really felt non-partisan, non-religious, apolitical,” he told broadcaster ABC of Khawaja’s bid to wear the dove symbol.

“Equally, the ICC has its regulations and they are there for good reason so we have to respect those.

“But I think the main way we deal with this (type of issue) is through good communication and working together.”

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Last week, Khawaja spoke about how the Israel-Hamas conflict had affected him.

“When I’m looking at my Instagram and seeing innocent kids, videos of them dying, passing away, that’s what hit me the hardest,” he said.

“I just imagine my young daughter in my arms … I get emotional talking about it again. I don’t have any hidden agendas.”

Usman Khawaja wore a black armband during the Perth Test and was reprimanded by the ICC, but insisted it was for a “personal bereavement” and not politically motivated.

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Australia captain Pat Cummins threw his support behind star opener Usman Khawaja Monday, saying his bid to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was “not offensive”.

Usman Khawaja has been denied permission by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to have a sticker showing a black dove holding an olive branch on his bat and shoes during the second Test against Pakistan.

The logo, which he displayed during training on Sunday, also had the words 01:UDHR — a reference to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — written on it.

The 36-year-old, 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.

The ICC said they flouted its rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.

“We really support Uzzy. He’s standing up for what he believes and I think he’s done it really respectfully,” Pat Cummins told reporters on the eve of the Test in Melbourne.

“As I said last week, ‘All lives are equal’, I don’t think that’s very offensive and I’d say the same about the dove.

“That’s Uzzy. I think he can really hold his head high with the way he’s gone about it.

“But obviously there’s rules in place and I believe the ICC have said they’re not going to approve that. They make up the rules and you’ve got to accept it.”

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Usman Khawaja wore a black armband during the Perth Test and was reprimanded by the ICC, but insisted it was for a “personal bereavement” and not politically-motivated.

Last week, he spoke about how the Israel-Hamas conflict had affected him.

“When I’m looking at my Instagram and seeing innocent kids, videos of them dying, passing away, that’s what hit me the hardest,” he said.

“I don’t have any agendas other than trying to shine a light on what I feel really passionately, really strongly about.”

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Australia’s Usman Khawaja has been denied permission to place a peace symbol on his bat and shoes for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, reports said Sunday.

A sticker showing a black dove and the words 01:UDHR — a reference to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — was on his bat and shoes during training in Melbourne on Sunday.

The star batter had multiple meetings with Cricket Australia over recent days to find a message that would be appropriate for the second Test this week, local media said.

But his latest humanitarian gesture has been turned down by the International Cricket Committee, The Australian and Melbourne Age newspapers reported.

The ICC were not immediately available for comment.

Usman 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.

The 36-year-old had wanted to show his support for the people of Gaza.

But he was told they flouted ICC rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.

Usman Khawaja donned the black armband during Australia’s 360-run victory in Perth, a move seen at the time as support for people in Gaza, where thousands have been killed.

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However, the ICC said it breached their clothing and equipment regulations.

“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,” the ICC said late Thursday.

“This is a breach under the category of an ‘other breach’ and the sanction for a first offence is a reprimand.”

Khawaja said he would not wear an armband during the second Test in Melbourne next week but insisted that it was for a “personal bereavement” and vowed to contest the ruling.

“No, I’m not wearing it again. As I said to the ICC, the armband was for a personal bereavement,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

“The armband was different to my shoes. The shoes were very obvious. At the end of the day, I didn’t wear the shoes. I respected the rules and procedures and left it at that.”

He added that being reprimanded for the armband “makes no sense” and pointed to other players who had previously put stickers on their bats and names on their shoes without approval and escaped punishment, urging the ICC to be more consistent.

Khawaja spoke on Friday about how the Israel-Hamas conflict had affected him, saying he despaired at seeing how many children had been killed.

“When I’m looking at my Instagram and seeing innocent kids, videos of them dying, passing away, that’s what hit me the hardest,” he said.

“I don’t have any agendas other than trying to shine a light on what I feel really passionately, really strongly about.”

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Australia’s Usman Khawaja on Friday claimed that the black armband he wore in the first Test against Pakistan was for a “personal bereavement” and not politically motivated after the star batter was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The 36-year-old donned the armband during the team’s 360-run victory in Perth, a move seen at the time as support for people in Gaza, where thousands have been killed.

He had wanted to wear shoes emblazoned with the hand-written slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the match, saying he had been hit hard by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

But Pakistan-born Khawaja, who is Muslim, was told that it flouted ICC rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.

When Cricket Australia (CA) expressed their hopes that the opener would uphold the rules, Usman Khawaja covered the slogans with a semi-transparent tape.

However, the words written on his shoes remained partially visible — only in close-up — in the colour of the Palestinian flag.

Khawaja insisted he told the ICC during the match that it was for a personal bereavement and had no hidden meaning.

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However, the ICC said it breached their clothing and equipment regulations.

“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,” the ICC said late Thursday.

“This is a breach under the category of an ‘other breach’ and the sanction for a first offence is a reprimand.”

Khawaja said he would not wear an armband during the second Test in Melbourne next week but remained defiant.

“No, I’m not wearing it again. As I said to the ICC, the armband was for a personal bereavement,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

“The armband was different to my shoes. The shoes were very obvious. At the end of the day, I didn’t wear the shoes. I respected the rules and procedures and left it at that.”

He added that being reprimanded for the armband “makes no sense” and pointed to other players who had previously put stickers on their bats and names on their shoes without approval and escaped punishment, urging the ICC to be more consistent.

“I will just be asking and contesting that they (ICC) make it fair for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That’s all I ask for, and from my point of view, that consistency hasn’t been done yet,” he said.

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MELBOURNE: Australia’s left-handed opener Usman Khawaja on Thursday, was charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for staging a muted protest against the ongoing war in Palestine.

“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 opener earlier wanted to wear shoes with the hand-written slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the first Test of the three-match series against Pakistan at Perth.

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But Pakistan-born Khawaja, who is Muslim, was told that it flouted ICC rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.

When Cricket Australia (CA) expressed their hopes that the opener would uphold the rules, Usman Khawaja covered the slogans with a semi-transparent tape.

However, the words written on his shoes remained partially visible — only in close-up — in the colour of the Palestinian flag.

Later, Khawaja donned a black armband to show solidarity with Palestine.

He also spoke to Fox Cricket before going on to bat and criticised ICC’s “inconsistent ruling” while asserting that some players have previously been approved to show personal messages that surrounded topics of politics, religion or race.

“I just think that so much has happened in the past that sets a precedent,” Usman Khawaja told Fox Cricket.

“Other guys that have religious things on their equipment, under the ICC guidelines that’s not technically allowed, but the ICC never says anything on that,” he added.

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Australia’s Usman Khawaja staged a muted protest against the war in Palestine on Thursday, wearing a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan and taping up messages on his shoes.

The opening batsman had wanted to wear shoes emblazoned with the hand-written slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the match at Perth.

But Pakistan-born Khawaja, who is Muslim, was told that it flouted International Cricket Council (ICC) rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.

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With Cricket Australia (CA) saying it expected the players to uphold the rules, Usman Khawaja covered over the slogans with semi-transparent tape leaving the words — in the colour of the Palestinian flag — visible only in close-up.

According to local media, Cricket Australia said Khawaja was wearing the armband as a show of solidarity.

Many thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the 10-week-old war, sparked by Hamas raids into Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people.

In a video Khawaja recently shared on Instagram, he asked: “Do people not care about innocent humans being killed?”

Usman Khawaja has vowed to fight the ban on his footwear, calling it “a humanitarian appeal”.

He doubled down on his stance just before going in to bat in the first Test on Thursday.

“I just think that so much has happened in the past that sets a precedent,” Khawaja told Fox Cricket.

“Other guys that have religious things on their equipment, under the ICC guidelines that’s not technically allowed, but the ICC never says anything on that,” he added.

Australian captain Pat Cummins said he was “really proud” of his teammate and of other squad members who had spoken up for what they believe in.

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