A Unique Tribute: Khawaja Wears Sports Shoes Featuring Daughters’ Names in Pakistan Test

During Tuesday’s Test match against Pakistan, Usman Khawaja, the Australian cricketer, sported shoes featuring the names of his daughters, Aisha and Ayla, in a touching tribute.

This followed an earlier ban on Khawaja displaying a statement supporting human rights in Gaza on his footwear. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had denied him permission to have a sticker with a black dove and the words on his bat and shoes during the match. Khawaja, a Muslim, was also restricted from wearing shoes with hand-written slogans like “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” in the previous Test in Perth.
The ICC cited rules against messages related to politics, religion, or race. In response to the restrictions, Khawaja expressed his frustration on Instagram on Monday, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and adding the hashtags #inconsistent and #doublestandards. Last week, he emotionally shared how the Israel-Hamas conflict deeply affected him, particularly witnessing videos of innocent children suffering.