Banner Repeating Usman Khawaja's Banned Shoe Message Removed In Perth Stadium During First Test vs Pakistan
A banner bearing the same messages as written on Usman Khawaja's shoes regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict was taken down by security during the Australia vs Pakistan first Test in Perth Stadium.
A banner bearing the same messages as written on Usman Khawaja's shoes regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict was taken down by secutiry during the Australia vs Pakistan first Test in Perth Stadium. Meanwhile, some spectators were evicted from the stadium due to "antisocial behaviour". It is worth noting that Australian batter Khawaja was set to wear slogans like "all lives are equal" and "freedom is a human right" during the game against Pakistan but the International Cricket Council (ICC) forbid him ahead of the game.
However, a banner sharing the same opinion was spotted during the Australia vs Pakistan first Test. As soon as it caught the eye of the secutiry, the banner was taken down.
A banner bearing the same message Usman Khawaja had written on his shoes has been taken down by security during the first Test between Australia and Pakistan in Perth. Fans were also escorted out of the stadium #AUSvPAK #Cricket pic.twitter.com/Fe3HcuiYu5
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) December 17, 2023
"A sign was removed because it contravened Cricket Australia's terms and conditions of entry," the stadium authorities said in a statement.
"Some patrons were removed because of antisocial behaviour, not because of the sign," it added.
On the eve of the first Test, Khawaja had also shared his opinions on social media.
"All Lives are Equal. Freedom is a Human right. I'm raising my voice for human rights. For a humanitarian appeal. If you see it any other way. That's on you...," wrote the southpaw while sharing a video.
All Lives are Equal. Freedom is a Human right. I'm raising my voice for human rights. For a humanitarian appeal. If you see it any other way. That's on you... pic.twitter.com/8eaPnBfUEb
— Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) December 13, 2023
The batter has been the subject of a massive controversy surrounding his show of solidarity with the people caught in Israel-Hamas conflict.
As ICC forbade the batter to wear shoes with messages directing towards Israel-Hamas conflict, Khawaja appeared without his shoes during a media interview ahead the first Test against Pakistan.
"I'm a grown man, I can do anything I want, but the ICC will just keep coming down and giving me fines, and at some point, it will detract from the game. I stand by what I said. I'll stand by it forever. But, I also need to go out there and really concentrate on what I'm doing," Khawaja told 7Cricket.
Cricket Australia in a statement released on Wednesday prior to skipper Pat Cummins' pre-game press conference said, "We support the right of our players to express personal opinions. But the ICC has rules in place which prohibit the display of personal messages which we expect the players to uphold."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team
Usman Khawaja