Revealed: The cricket political statements that got the green light – after Usman Khawaja was banned from wearing his pro-Palestine shoes

Usman Khawaja has been banned by Cricket Australia from sharing what he calls a “humanitarian message” of peace amid the war in Gaza, but political statements in cricket are not a new phenomenon.

Khawaja, a proud Muslim, announced plans to wear shoes with the slogans “freedom is a human right” and “all lives matter” during Australia’s Test match against Pakistan in Perth on Thursday.

However, cricket’s governing body advised Khawaja to “stand by” its rules against showing private messages.

The sport has had a complex and often contentious relationship with political protest, although players continue to take positions on various issues.

In 1971, South African players walked off the field after just one goal was scored in protest against the apartheid regime during a high-profile first-class match in Cape Town.

Australia’s David Warner takes a knee before the first ball of the Test at Optus Stadium in Perth against the West Indies.

India has donned army camouflage caps in solidarity with Indian paramilitary police officers killed in an attack by militants based in Pakistan.

It was a defining moment in both South African history and sport.

In 2022, the Australian Test team took a knee before the first ball of the series opener against the West Indies in Perth.

The gesture became popular thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and Australia. Captain Pat Cummins said the decision to join was made “in support of equality”.

At the time, fans flooded Cricket Australia’s post about the opening of the Test summer at Optus Stadium with comments about the national team’s desire to focus on cricket rather than politics.

In 2019, the Indian cricket team wore army camouflage caps during the third ODI match against Australia in honor of Indian paramilitary police officers killed in a militant attack carried out by a group from Pakistan.

The idea to wear the caps came from former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the biggest cricket stars and an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army.

The Virat Kohli-led team also donated its proceeds from this match to the families of the army personnel who died in the line of duty.

However, later that year, Dhoni was asked to remove the Indian Army insignia from his gloves. The ICC said its clothing and equipment rules only allowed manufacturers’ logos on clothing and that Dhoni or the Indian team had not sought any permission to wear the badge.

In January 2023, Australia canceled a one-day series of meetings with Afghanistan over concerns about “further restrictions” on women’s rights in the Taliban-ruled country.

Australia refuse to play Test cricket against Afghanistan after Taliban ban women from playing

ICC rules that England’s Moeen Ali must not wear “Free Palestine” and “Save Gaza” ribbons in protest

Australian Sports Minister Anika Wells praised the side for the boycott in response to the Taliban’s “unacceptable” treatment of women and girls.

In 2014, the International Cricket Council banned English cricketer Moeen Ali from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” bracelets while playing for England.

Match referee David Boon banned the batsman from wearing a bracelet, and an ICC statement said: “The ICC Equipment and Dress Rules do not allow messages relating to political, religious or racial activities or causes to be displayed during an international match.

At the 2003 World Cup, the club’s Henry Olonga and Andy Flower took a “human rights” stance against the Mugabe regime by wearing black armbands during Zimbabwe’s opening match against Namibia.

They played with black armbands to “mourn the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe,” as they put it in a statement afterwards.

The couple was condemned by Zimbabwean politicians but praised by the international media.

The ICC decided that Flower and Olonga took political action, but declined to charge them with a crime.