Usman Khawaja is a nice guy. However, saying his shoe statement is not political is naive at least or cynical or worse. The way the whole thing played out in a typical woke episode.
A public figure, paid to represent his country, departs from the uniform to endorse a statement on his shoe written in the colours of a political entity.
That is a political action, like taking the knee or black power saluting during the national anthem.
Quite correctly, this act was prohibited.
The fact that he was allowed to wear a black armband is a weak, unacceptable, woke compromise.
In Khawaja’s context it is an individual political statement. It is clearly not a mark of respect, worn to honour the death of a family member or a universal icon, relevant to the sport.
The fact the the team administration and captain allowed the armband is how woke works and it is a failure in principle and integrity.
Where does the rot start? Right at the top – this is what Anika Wells the Federal Sports Minister said:
“As the federal sports minister, I have always advocated for athletes to have the right to have a voice and to speak up on matters that are important to them,”
I agree with that, so long as they don’t use their workplaces. They are employed as athletes to perform their skills before a paying public. They need to keep their personal, political lives separate.
The making of political statements can cause tension amongst cricket followers of diverse views. Usman acknowledges his intended ‘statement’ attracted abuse. The Minister and Pat Cummins and many others clearly support it.
What if the team members were required to wear LBGTI rainbow emblems on their shirts?
What if a sportsman chose to wear a black armband on 30 April – the day of Hitler’s death? Or 6 August .. the Hiroshima bomb anniversary or … you get the picture.
Use of the public platform to promote personal causes should be prohibited and sanctioned.
Keep politics out of sport.
And have the courage to stand up to impropriety.
sillysocksonfriday 
Immediate flashback to the 70s and my parents saying this about Tutu when both he and they were living on Lesotho!
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Didn’t know Desmond played cricket! Mind you he bowled some mean balls from the pulpit. I suppose some see sport s a religion …. but I believe religion was the origin of politics, it just lost control.
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It’s good to see your voice!
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Quite right Malachy. Big question: where was the sports minister’s belief that “athletes … have the right to have a voice and to speak up on matters that are important to them” when Israel Folau indicated his belief that drunks, atheists, fornicators, adulterers and homosexuals need to repent or go to hell? (To be clear here, I belong to at least two of those groups, and given the opportunity would join a third, but he is still entitled to say it.)
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Didn’t know you were interested in batting for the other side!? Good to see your voice.
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Nope, that isn’t one of the groups I qualify for.
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