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Australian captain Pat Cummins on Monday supported his teammate Usman Khawaja, saying the opening batsman’s efforts to highlight the humanitarian plight in Gaza were “not offensive”. Cricket’s global governing body ICC (International Cricket Council) rejected Khawaja’s demand to affix a black ‘dove’ sticker with an olive tree branch on his bat and shoes during the ‘Boxing Day’ Test against Pakistan.
Cummins said he saw no difference between Khawaja’s use of the ‘dove logo’ on his bat and shoes to raise awareness of humanitarian issues, and teammate Marnus Labuschagne’s use of the eagle logo on his bat to reflect a personal religious message.
“We really support Uzi (Usman Khawaja),” Cummins told reporters on the eve of the second Test at the MCG. He’s adamant about what he believes in, and I think he’s shown that in a very respectable way.”
“As I said last week, ‘Sabhi Ki Zindagi Saman Hai’ I don’t think is a very aggressive message and I would say the same about ‘Dove’,” he said.
“But obviously there are some rules and I think the ICC has said they won’t allow it,” said Cummins, backing the 37-year-old Khawaja, who was born in Islamabad, Pakistan. They make the rules and you have to accept them.”