Usman Khawaja's availability in doubt for opening Test against Pakistan due to possible restrictions

Australia are hosting Pakistan for a three-match Test series. The first test is set to begin on Thursday, at Perth. Ahead of the game star opener Usman Khawaja might be in trouble as he may not be allowed to take the field on the first day of the Test match as he was spotted training with a special pair of shoes ahead of the match which had ‘Freedom is a human right’ and ‘All Lives Are Equal’ (referring to the plight of Palestinians caught in the fighting in Gaza) message written on them. 

After a journalist zoomed in and clicked a photo of the opener the picture went viral on the internet. This has created chaos ahead of the first Test in the country and the social media as well. The fans have shared varied opinions on the matter as some of them believe this is a ‘political statement’. 

As per the law, players and officials are not allowed to display messages on their clothing or equipment unless approved in advance by their board or the Cricket Governing Body. Though the governing body says the matches can be used as a tool to ‘bring people and communities around the world together’ but ‘not as a platform to draw attention to potentially divisive political issues, rhetoric or agendas.'

We support the right of our players to express personal opinions: Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia (CA) sent a release to the media, stating, "We support the right of our players to express personal opinions. But the Cricket Governing Body has rules in place which prohibit the display of personal messages which we expect the players to uphold."

The regulation states, "Any clothing or equipment that does not comply with these regulations is strictly prohibited. In particular, no logo shall be permitted to be displayed on cricket clothing or cricket equipment, other than a national logo, a commercial logo, an event logo, a manufacturer’s logo, a player’s bat logo, a charity logo or a non-commercial logo as provided in these regulations. In addition, where any match official becomes aware of any clothing or equipment that does not comply with these regulations, he shall be authorised to prevent the offending person from taking the field of play (or to order them from the field of play, if appropriate) until the non-compliant clothing or equipment is removed or appropriately covered up."