Usman Khawaja forced to remove banned dove sticker on bat during Australia vs New Zealand Test

Australia opener Usman Khawaja was forced to remove a banned dove sticker from a replacement bat during the second innings against New Zealand in the Wellington Test on Monday.

Batting on day three after Australia had a 217-run lead overnight, Khawaja was forced to call in for a replacement equipment in the opening session after cracking his bat. Substitute Matthew Renshaw came in with a few options before Khawaja settled on a bat that sported a dove logo with an olive branch – a sticker that got him in a row with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and eventually restricted from displaying on his gear.

In December 2023, Khawaja’s request to request to wear the dove sticker was struck down by the ICC ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. The logo acts as a symbol to raise awareness for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. However, the ICC deemed it a “political protest” during international fixtures.

Earlier in that series in Perth, Khawaja was also barred from wearing shoes displaying the message “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right”. Khawaja was also reprimanded for using a black armband during the match even as the 37-year-old had stated that it was used for a “personal bereavement.”

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While Khawaja has used the dove sticker on his bats during training, the left-hander also criticized the ICC’s double-standards before the Boxing Day Test as he posted images of cricketers donning religious stickers on their bats, including teammate Marnus Labuschagne’s bat which dons biblical verses.

The opening batter found support from his captain Pat Cummins and Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley. “We really support Uzzy, I think he’s standing up for what he believes and I think he’s doing it really respectfully. All lives are equal and I don’t think that’s very offensive, and I’d say the same about the dove.

“That’s Uzzy. He can hold his head high the way he’s gone about it, but there’s rules in place, so I believe the ICC have said they’re not going to approve that. They make up the rules and you’ve got to accept it,” said Cummins.

Khawaja eventually fell stumped on 28 as Australia were bowled out for 168 in the second innings after setting a daunting 369-run target for the Kiwis.

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