Usman Khawaja has thrown his help behind Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan after he questioned Cricket Australia’s ongoing boycott of bilateral sequence with the nation because of the ruling Taliban authorities’s remedy of its feminine residents.
Rashid has been an outspoken critic of Australia’s stance, calling it hypocrtical, and he once more questioned the combo of sport and politics following his staff’s shock win over Mitchell Marsh’s staff within the T20 World Cup Tremendous 8s stage.
Australia had been because of tour the subcontinent earlier this 12 months to play Afghanistan and cancelled what would have been an historic Check in Hobart in opposition to them in 2021 quickly after the Taliban reclaimed energy.
Khawaja posted a message of help on social media to Rashid after their 21-run triumph in Kingstown, St Vincent.
“Properly finished Brother. Higher staff on the day. You boys are an inspiration for thus many again house and overseas. So unhappy we are able to’t see you all play in Australia.”
Khawaja additionally instructed The Age at an Amazon Prime Video Twenty20 World Cup occasion in Melbourne on Monday that he believes Australia ought to finish its refusal to enjoying Afghanistan outdoors of ICC tournaments.
“I personally assume sure we needs to be enjoying Afghanistan,” he instructed The Age.
“I’m sympathetic to either side of the puzzle. I completely respect and agree with quite a lot of points of the stance Cricket Australia has when it comes to girls’s cricket in Afghanistan, however there’s additionally one other facet to it, of selling and rising the sport.
“That is the second time Australia have backed out of a bilateral sequence, and I talked to Rashid Khan. He was actually upset, extra so as a result of the Afghanistan individuals love cricket, and for them cricket is likely one of the few issues they get pleasure from and brings happiness, and the very fact they had been going to play Australia was going to be enormous, they usually don’t get to see that now.
“So it really hurts the individuals, and the persons are separate from the federal government.
“Once you take a look at it in that respect, you harm individuals. And in addition the gamers have stood up for the very same trigger as CA has. Rashid has proven me his tweets, and that’s robust to do enjoying for Afghanistan. So then he stated all you’re doing is depriving us gamers, too. We wish to play the perfect staff on this planet and we are able to’t.”
CA issued a press release after the cancellation of its deliberate tour in March to say: “The federal government’s recommendation is that situations for girls and ladies in Afghanistan are getting worse. For that reason, now we have maintained our earlier place and can postpone the bilateral sequence in opposition to Afghanistan.”
Khawaja has been at odds with the ICC over his protests through the Australian Check summer season when he was sanctioned for sporting a black armband in a match in opposition to Pakistan in help of individuals in Gaza following the battle with Israel.
He additionally wrote “freedom is a human proper” and “all lives are equal” on his footwear at coaching.
“The ICC have instructed me that I can’t put on my footwear on subject, as a result of they consider it’s a political assertion below their tips. I don’t consider it’s,” he stated on the time.
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