Australia's Usman Khawaja thanks for 'support, love' amid shoe controversy

Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja Monday thanked all those who supported his stand on human rights and freedom for all in the wake of the controversy that ensued after he wore shoes displaying hand-written, rights-related slogans in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

The sportsman was seen wearing the shoes with the slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” inscribed on them while practising with his team during their training session last week and wanted to wear the shoes during the first Test against Pakistan that began on December 14 in Perth. 

However, Cricket Australia issued a statement, expecting him to adhere to the rules laid out by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on making political statements on the field.

Taking to his account on X, formerly Twitter, the cricketer wrote: "Thank you to all those who supported and gave me love this week. It wasn't unnoticed."

The 37-year-old athlete, in his post, maintained nothing worthwhile is easy.

"History shows we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of our past. But together we can fight for a better future," the cricketer wrote.

Earlier, Khawaja had vowed to raise his voice for those who cannot speak for their rights and freedom. In a video shared on his X account, he spoke about fighting the ICC’s mandate after being stopped from wearing the shoes in future games.

“The ICC have told me that I can’t wear my shoes on field, because they believe it’s a political statement under their guidelines. I don’t believe it is,” Khawaja said in a video on X.

“I will respect their view and decision but I will fight it and seek to gain approval,” he added.

Cricket Australia said it supported the right of its players to "express personal opinions", but also wanted them to abide by the rules.

According to Australian media reports, the Pakistan-born opener intended to wear the boots during the match, which starts at Perth Stadium on December 14 (Thursday).

Commenting on Khawaja's show of solidarity, which was being linked to a show of solidarity for the Palestinians in Gaza, Australia's cricket body, in a statement released today, said: "We support the right of our players to express personal opinions."

However, it also added: "But the ICC has rules in place which prohibit the display of personal messages which we expect the players to uphold."