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[Saba Sports News] Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja experienced a setback when the International Cricket Council (ICC) dismissed his appeal against a penalty for wearing a black armband in the first Test against Pakistan. The ICC had earlier reprimanded Khawaja for the armband, worn to commemorate children impacted by the Israel-Palestine conflict. Khawaja, known for his social media advocacy on the issue, had argued that his gesture was a personal expression of grief.
In a further display of his stance, Khawaja arrived at a training session on December 13 with his batting spikes bearing the messages “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right.” He intended to wear these during the Test, but the ICC maintained its decision, marking a disappointment for Khawaja in his attempts to use his attire for solidarity.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported, “Usman Khawaja’s appeal against a reprimand for wearing a black armband in the Perth Test against Pakistan was rejected by the ICC.”
The ICC regulations restrict players from displaying political, religious, or racial messages during international matches. While black armbands are permissible to honor past players or notable figures with prior consent, Khawaja did not obtain approval from Cricket Australia or the ICC for his armband. The ICC emphasized that Khawaja violated the protocol for wearing personal symbols during matches.
The ICC statement clarified, “Usman displayed a personal message (armband) during the first Test against Pakistan without prior approval, breaching the rules for personal messages. The first-offense sanction is a reprimand.”