Usman Khawaja has prepared a formal application to Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council for permission to continue highlighting human rights in the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Sources close to CA, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter freely, said Khawaja had already submitted a request to the governing bodies requesting permission to spread his message during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
A CA spokesperson would only say that discussions are ongoing. At the time of publication, an ICC spokesperson was checking with the ICC’s Operations Department to see if the request had been received.
Khawaja traveled to Melbourne ahead of his Australian teammates to help launch California’s Multicultural Action Plan, which aims to make cricket a more inclusive sport today. The event will give Al-Khawaja another platform to raise awareness about the loss of life in the conflict between Israel and Gaza, which is expected to be the focus of the press conference.
Khawaja faces a possible reprimand from the ICC for wearing a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth without seeking permission from the CA or the ICC, if the ICC finds that the band was a political statement.
In training before the first test, Khawaja wore shoes with the words “All lives are equal” and “Freedom is a human right” written on the sides. Khawaja had intended to wear the boots during the Test, but after a reminder from California that it would be in breach of ICC rules, Khawaja switched to a black armband.
Usman Khawaja wears ‘All Lives Are Equal’ on his boots during Australia’s curling session at the WACA on Tuesday.credit: Getty Images
An ICC spokesman confirmed that Al-Khawaja could still be reprimanded for not obtaining permission to wear the armband. If he subsequently takes further unapproved actions, he will be subject to more severe penalties. However, it is not clear what action, if any, the ICC intends to take.
Al Khawaja, the first Muslim to play for Australia, continued to highlight his concerns late on Wednesday by posting an Instagram story titled “24,000 civilians, 10,000 children.” The Gaza Strip is marked October 7 – December 19. The drawing included numbers including “52,390 wounded” and “1,900,000” displaced.