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Michael Holding slammed the ICC for not allowing Usman Khawaja to display the “all lives are equal” inscription on his shoes during the first Australia versus Pakistan Test. The 69-year-old stated it was hypocrisy on the part of the ICC to let the people take a knee for BLM but not give the same courtesy to the Australian opener.
After Usman Khawaja couldn’t get his request approved by the ICC to display the “all lives are equal” inscription on his shoes, he trained at the nets at the MCG with it. He also pasted a sticker on his bat showcasing the message, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood,” referencing Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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While speaking to The Weekend Australian, Michael Holding addressed the matter and said, “The ICC regulations say re messaging ‘approval shall not be granted for messages which relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes. So how the f*** people were allowed to take a knee for BLM (Black Lives Matter), and stumps were covered with LGBTQ colours?”
“If it had been most other organisations that showed some semblance of consistency with their attitude and behaviour on issues I could claim surprise, but not them. Once again, they show their hypocrisy and lack of moral standing as an organisation,” Holding remarked.
On Sunday, December 24, Usman Khawaja was denied by the ICC to display a black dove holding an olive branch on his bat and shoes during the Boxing Day Test for Australia against Pakistan. His message is in solidarity with the people suffering during the Israel-Palestine war that has been going on in the Middle East in the last couple of months.