What did Usman Khawaja do on Day 1 of Pakistan Test after ICC banned his 'all lives are equal' message on shoes?

A day after the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned him from wearing shoes with the message "all lives are equal", Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja showed his solidarity with the people suffering in Gaza by wearing a black armband during the first cricket test against Pakistan. The ICC had intervened on Wednesday, citing its policies that prohibit political or religious statements on team uniforms or equipment, after the opening batsman wanted to wear the shoes during the match at Perth with the hand-written messages "Freedom is a human right" and "All lives are equal" clearly visible.

While Khawaja respected the ruling to avoid sanctions, he expressed his disagreement with the ICC's stance. In a social media post, Khawaja stated, "Freedom is a human right, and all rights are equal. I will never stop believing that." He clarified that his intention was not to be divisive or take sides, but to speak up for those who don't have a voice.

"What I've written on my shoes isn't political. I'm not taking sides. Human life to me is equal. One Jewish life is equal to one Muslim life, is equal to one Hindu life, and so on. I'm just speaking up for those who don't have a voice. This is close to my heart," he said.



Born in Pakistan, Khawaja became the first Muslim to play test cricket for Australia. Khawaja emphasized that his message on the shoes was not political but close to his heart. In the match, Khawaja scored 41 runs before being caught behind but featured in a 126-run opening partnership with David Warner.

The Israel-Hamas war has resulted in the deaths of over 18,400 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory. Israel reported the deaths of 113 soldiers and approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, after a Hamas raid on southern Israel on October 7. (With AP inputs)