- Cricket star is understood for making eye-catching protests
- Incident got here after play completed in first Check vs West Indies
Aussie cricket star Usman Khawaja has turned heads after sensationally boycotting a post-game interview within the Caribbean with main media outlet SEN following day one of many first Check towards the West Indies.
It comes after the 24/7 sports activities enterprise controversially sacked journalist Peter Lalor earlier this yr.
Revered cricket reporter Lalor posted a sequence of tweets and retweets in regards to the battle in Gaza when Australia had been touring Sri Lanka in February – and the freelancer was promptly proven the door by SEN throughout a Check match in Galle.
The choice adopted Lalor’s social media exercise, which included reposts of reports articles about Israeli airstrikes in addition to the discharge of Palestinian prisoners.
On Thursday morning AEDT, Khawaja – who scored a dogged 47 in Australia’s disappointing first innings of 180 in Bridgetown – reportedly rejected a request to talk to SEN commentators after stumps at Kensington Oval.
It’s understood the veteran opening batsman noticed an SEN microphone after which knowledgeable reporters Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan he would not be doing an interview.
Aussie cricketer Usman Khawaja (pictured with spouse Rachel) has turned heads after sensationally boycotting a post-game interview within the Caribbean
The silent protest from Khawaja (pictured along with his household) is believed to be linked to SEN sacking journalist Peter Lalor earlier this yr over tweets he posted on the battle in Gaza
Khawaja – who scored a dogged 47 in Australia’s disappointing first innings of 180 in Bridgetown – reportedly rejected a request to talk to SEN commentators at stumps
Lalor, who can be masking the three-Check sequence, mentioned in a press release: ‘Usman is a person of precept whose help I valued drastically after I was dismissed and whose ongoing help I recognize.’
In late 2023, Khawaja – who’s a practising Muslim – attracted headlines after his human rights protest forward of the Boxing Day Check towards Pakistan on the MCG.
The cricket star additionally donned a black armband in the course of the first Check in Perth to indicate help for civilians in Gaza.
And far to his dismay earlier than the primary Check, Khawaja was banned by Cricket Australia and the ICC from sporting footwear bearing the messages ‘freedom is a human proper’ and ‘all lives matter’.
On the time, Khawaja mentioned he felt pissed off after he was pressured to cowl the messages on his footwear with tape.
‘It is just a bit bit disappointing. I do not actually see the controversy of [saying] all lives matter and saying freedom is a human proper,’ he mentioned.
‘I do not see the place it turns into political … I discover it arduous to just accept the place folks discover what I mentioned distasteful.
‘It makes me really feel a bit bit uneasy that folks discover these phrases uneasy.
‘It has been a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster for, I suppose… I am going to all the time rise up for what I consider in, even when folks do not agree with me or don’t love me saying it.
‘I need to look again on my profession and say, look, I stood up for my values, I respect what I did on the sector, however I additionally respect myself for what I did off the sector… meaning extra to me.’
