Usman Khawaja, the Australian opener, has once again criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for double standards, alleging that he was refused permission to showcase a dove of peace on his bat during the Boxing Day test.
The Pakistan-born Khawaja, who aimed to show his support for the people of Gaza during the ongoing conflict, was reprimanded for wearing a black armband in the first test against Pakistan in Perth earlier this month.
He had initially intended to express his support by writing the messages "Freedom is a human right" and "All lives are equal" on his boots in the colors of the Palestinian flag, but that gesture also violated ICC regulations.
Khawaja had collaborated with Cricket Australia on a new way to show his support by having the dove on his bat accompanied by the message "01: UDHR," referencing the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
According to The Australian newspaper, the ICC also rejected his request to display the message.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment on the matter from the ICC.
In a video on Instagram late on the eve of the second test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Khawaja posted pictures of other international players with religious symbols and messages on their bats.
"Merry Christmas, everybody. Sometimes you just gotta laugh... #inconsistent #doublestandards," he wrote underneath.
The ICC Code of Conduct prohibits players from wearing, displaying, or conveying messages through armbands or other items on clothing or equipment without prior approval, especially for "political, religious, or racial" causes.
Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Monday that the team sympathized with Khawaja's desire to show his support for the people of Gaza.
"I don't know the ins and outs of the application, but I think it is pretty vanilla, a dove," he told reporters.
"We really support Uzzy; I think he's standing up for what he believes, and I think he's doing it really respectfully," he said.
"He can hold his head high the way he's gone about it, but there are rules in place, so I believe the ICC has said they're not going to approve that. They make up the rules, and you've got to accept it."
