Usman Khawaja displays dove and olive branch at BBL

Usman Khawaja displayed the ICC-banned dove and olive branch symbol on his shoe and bat during the PBL match against the Perth Scorchers in Brisbane.

The film was approved by the Cricket Australia board ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, but despite Khawaja's submission to the ICC, the governing body refused him permission to use it during the match. As the PBL is a domestic competition, the ICC has no oversight.

The symbol was on the back of his bat when he started the innings, but he broke it in the first over and the substitute didn't show it.

Khawaja initially wanted to field in the Perth Test with humanitarian messages raising awareness about the Gaza conflict in his boots, but that was stopped by the ICC.

He wore a black armband, understood to be related to his social media posts about the humanitarian crisis, but Khawaja said before the Melbourne Test it was for personal mourning.

The logo on Khawaja's shoes and bat refers to an article in one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: „All men are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and must act toward one another. In the spirit of brotherhood.”

Khawaja previously said he did not believe the ICC was consistent in its application of the rules.

„They asked me on the second day [in Perth] He told them what it was for, it was for a personal mourning,” he said of the armor. „I never said it was for anything else. Shoes are another matter, I'm glad to say. I don't understand the wrist band. I have followed all the rules, past precedents, guys putting stickers on pads, names on boots, doing all sorts of things in the past without ICC permission and never been reprimanded.

Khawaja has spoken openly about how affected he has been by the images emerging from the conflict in Gaza.

„When I look at my Instagram and see videos of innocent children dying, that's what really affected me,” she said. „I imagine my young daughter in my arms and that's what I feel again. I have no hidden agenda.

„If it brings too much negativity on me… I'm not getting anything out of it. I feel it's my responsibility to talk about it. We live in such a beautiful country. I'm blessed to live in Australia. . . I can walk out and not worry about a thing. And my kids too.” Can do the same thing. I love it all over the world.”

In a follow-up interview with Fox Cricket, he said: „I don't do these things on a whim – it's something that has affected me for a long time. I was playing Sheffield Shield cricket before the Test series. Motivation. I spoke to my wife Rachel, our sports psychologist Brent Membury and Cricket Australia. , I told them that I was really struggling for motivation right now.

Khawaja has been backed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. „I also want to congratulate [Usman Khawaja] For his bravery for human values. He has shown courage and it's great that the team has backed him.