Australian captain Pat Cummins on Monday voiced his backing for star opener Usman Khawaja, affirming that Khawaja's efforts to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza were deemed "non-offensive."
Khawaja was denied permission by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to have a sticker featuring a black dove holding an olive branch on his bat and shoes during the second Test against Pakistan.
The logo, displayed during training on Sunday, included the words 01:UDHR, referencing Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The 36-year-old, a Muslim, was prevented from wearing shoes with hand-written slogans such as "Freedom is a human right" and "All lives are equal" during the first Test in Perth.
The ICC cited violations of its rules on messages related to politics, religion or race.
On the eve of the Test in Melbourne, Cummins told reporters: "We really support Uzzy. He's standing up for what he believes, and I think he's done it really respectfully. As I said last week, 'All lives are equal.' I don't think that's very offensive, and I'd say the same about the dove. That's Uzzy. I think he can really hold his head high with the way he's gone about it. But obviously, there are rules in place, and I believe the ICC has said they're not going to approve that. They make up the rules, and you've got to accept it."
Khawaja wore a black armband during the Perth Test and received a reprimand from the ICC, but he insisted it was for "personal bereavement" and not politically motivated.
Last week, he discussed how the Israel-Palestine conflict had affected him, stating, "When I'm looking at my Instagram and seeing innocent kids, videos of them dying or passing away, that's what hit me the hardest. I don't have any agendas other than trying to shine a light on what I feel really passionately, really strongly about."
