Usman Khawaja Faces ICC Rejection for Humanitarian Logo at Boxing Day Test

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja’s request to wear a logo on his shoes, depicting a black dove holding an olive branch as a tribute to lives lost in Gaza, has been rejected by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Khawaja had previously worn a black armband during the Perth Test, leading to an ICC reprimand. Despite obtaining approval from Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association for the dove logo, the ICC denied his fresh application.

Khawaja had also displayed a similar logo on his bat, accompanied by a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Despite facing criticism and negative reactions, Khawaja emphasized that his intention was to bring attention to the suffering of innocent children and promote fairness and equity in the ICC’s decision-making process.

The rejection comes after Khawaja’s previous attempts to wear slogans like “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” on his shoes during the Perth Test were thwarted by the ICC. The cricketer expressed his frustration with the lack of consistency in the ICC’s decisions and reiterated his commitment to speaking up on global issues.

In a related note, fellow cricketer Marnus Labuschagne’s bat features an eagle with a Bible verse, Isaiah 40:31, emphasizing hope in the Lord for renewed strength. The similarities in size and shape between Labuschagne’s logo and Khawaja’s proposed dove logo highlight the complex nature of such expressions in the cricketing world.