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In a poignant moment during the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Perth Stadium, Usman Khawaja was seen wearing a black armband.
Australia opt to bat
After clinching the World Test Championship (WTC) title by defeating India at the Oval in June and having retained the Ashes Urn against England the following month, Australia aims to begin the home cycle of 2023-25 WTC in an emphatic fashion.
In the opening Test of the three-match series against Pakistan, the Aussie captain Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat first. The hosts made one change in their line-up from the fifth Ashes Test with veteran spinner Nathan Lyon replacing Todd Murphy.
Meanwhile, Pakistan named two debutant pacers in Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad for the ongoing game.
AUS vs PAK, Playing XI for Perth Test
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad
Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
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Reason why Usman Khawaja is wearing a black armband
Usman Khawaja wearing a black armband during the Perth Test is an opposing sign against ICC for not allowing him to use a ‘ humanitarian message ‘ on his shoes.
During the Australian team’s training session on Tuesday, Khawaja sported shoes bearing the slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal,” intending to wear them in the first Test against Pakistan.
However, a statement released by Cricket Australia on Wednesday emphasized Khawaja’s obligation to adhere to the ICC’s regulations that prohibit the exhibition of personal messages.
Despite being prevented from displaying the messages on his shoes, Khawaja made the decision to don a black armband in solidarity with individuals enduring hardship in Palestine.
