Australia’s opener Usman Khawaja has broken his silence after he was charged by ICC for sporting a black armband during the 1st PAK vs AUK Test. The southpaw was charged by the governing body for wearing the armband without the prior approval of CA or the ICC.
Usman Khawaja breaks silence on ICC action
Speaking on the action as per The West Australian, Khawaja claimed that he had conveyed to the ICC on Day 2 in Perth that the black armband was for personal bereavement and not for any other purpose. Admitting that the ‘shoes were a different matter’, the opener said that the ‘armband made no sense’. Further, he said that while he respects the rules, he would also contest to ensure that there was consistency in the way ICC officiated.
“They (ICC) asked me on day two what it (black armband) was for and told them it was for a personal bereavement,” Khawaja said at the MCG on Friday.
“I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I’m happy to say that. The armband makes no sense to me.”
Further, Khawaja elaborated on why he wanted to wear the shoes sporting a pro-Palestine message and asserted that there was no agenda.
“What I wrote on my shoes, I thought about it for a while,” Khawaja said.
“I made sure I didn’t want to segregate different parts of the population; religious beliefs and communities. I wanted it to be really broad because I’m speaking about humanitarian issues. The reason I’m doing it is because it hit me hard.”
ICC charges southpaw Khawaja
“Usman Khawaja has been charged for breaching Clause F of the Clothing and Equipment Regulations, which can be found on the ICC Playing Conditions page. The sanctions for a breach of the regulations are outlined in Appendix 2,” an ICC spokesperson said to Fox Cricket.
“Usman displayed a personal message (arm band) during the 1st Test Match against Pakistan without seeking the prior approval of Cricket Australia and the ICC to display it, as required in the regulations for personal messages. This is a breach under the category of an “other breach” and the sanction for a first offence is a reprimand.” the spokesperson further added.
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