PERTH: Australia’s Usman Khawaja staged a muted protest against the war in Gaza on Thursday, wearing a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan and taping up messages on his shoes.
The opening batsman had wanted to wear shoes emblazoned with the hand-written slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” during the match at Perth.
But Pakistan-born Khawaja, who is Muslim, was told that it flouted International Cricket Council rules on messages that relate to politics, religion or race.
With Cricket Australia saying it expected the players to uphold the rules, Khawaja covered over the slogans with semi-transparent tape leaving the words — in the color of the Palestinian flag — visible only in close-up.
Cricket Australia said Khawaja was wearing the armband as a show of solidarity.
His opening partner David Warner, who slammed 164, said the team backed what he was doing.
“He’s entitled to his opinion and we fully support that,” he said.
“He’s a really good mate of mine and I know this is something really close to his heart. All we can do is support Uzzie and his views on that.”
More than 18,600 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, since Oct. 7.
In a video Khawaja recently shared on Instagram, he asked: “Do people not care about innocent humans being killed?“
Khawaja has vowed to fight the ban on his footwear, calling it “a humanitarian appeal.”
He doubled down on his stance just before going in to bat in the first Test on Thursday.
“I just think that so much has happened in the past that sets a precedent,” Khawaja told Fox Cricket.
“Other guys that have religious things on their equipment, under the ICC guidelines that’s not technically allowed, but the ICC never says anything on that,” he added.
Australian captain Pat Cummins said he was “really proud” of his teammate and of other squad members who had spoken up for what they believe in.
Australian cricketer Khawaja wears black armband in Gaza protest
https://arab.news/jyjcp
Australian cricketer Khawaja wears black armband in Gaza protest
- Usman Khawaja wanted to wear shoes emblazoned with freedom slogans
- Opening partner David Warner says team backs what Khawaja is doing
‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026
- Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu
YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.
Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.
Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”
He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”
The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.
Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.
Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.
“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”
Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.
