Khawaja to don shoes to show solidarity with Palestinians during Perth Test

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Australian opener Usman Khawaja intends to wear shoes during the upcoming Perth Test against Pakistan with slogans showing solidarity with Palestinians affected by the Gaza conflict, according to a report by WAtoday.

Khawaja has often expressed his deep concern for the situation through social media and was seen wearing the shoes, reading "Freedom is a human right" and "All lives are equal," during the Australian team's training session on Tuesday.

The report added that Khawaja plans to wear them on the first day of play on December 14, challenging cricket's regulations on political messages.

This move follows a recent incident during the World Cup final, where a pro-Palestine demonstrator, wearing a “Free Palestine” T-shirt, briefly interrupted the match.

Pakistan cricketer Muhammad Rizwan had dedicated his team’s ICC Cricket World Cup win against Sri Lanka to the people of Gaza.

Rizwan was adjudged the player of the match after he scored a century as Pakistan completed the tournament’s highest-ever successful run chase to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in Hyderabad, India.

“This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza,” he wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.

Pakistan's cricketer Muhammad Rizwan had dedicated his team's ICC Cricket World Cup victory over Sri Lanka to the people of Gaza.

Rizwan, named the player of the match for his century, expressed his sentiments on X, stating, "This win is for our brothers and sisters in Gaza."

The match, held in Hyderabad, India, saw Pakistan achieve the highest successful run chase in the tournament's history, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets.