Usman Khawaja reprimanded for displaying political message during Pakistan Test

Usman Khawaja has received a reprimand from cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), for his armband protest during Australia's first Test against Pakistan. In the match's wake, the opening batsman, who had previously faced criticism from the ICC for a planned shoe protest, wore a black armband in defiance. 

ICC punishes Usman Khawaja

Usman Khawaja had initially expressed frustration with the ICC's censorship of his messages supporting Gaza civilians, written on his footwear. The ICC barred Usman from displaying any kind of political messages during the match and warned him of strict action. Usman then decided to wear a black armband to defy ICC orders. 

“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 in a statement.

“Usman displayed a personal message (armband) 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 added.