"It was for a personal bereavement" - Usman Khawaja defends his black armband after ICC reprimands Australian opener

Australian opener Usman Khawaja defended his decision to wear a black armband during the 1st Test against Australia in Perth supposedly in support of the Palestine victims amid the conflict with Israel. The left-handed opener disclosed that it was for a personal reason and nothing else.

The ICC, on Wednesday, reprimanded Khawaja for wearing a black armband during the Perth Test against Pakistan last week without seeking the apex cricket body's permission. Earlier, the ICC had forbidden him from wearing shoes that contained slogans to express his solidarity with Palestine.

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, the Test opener stated that reprimanding him for the armband makes zero sense to him. As quoted by Perth Now, he stated:

"They (ICC) asked me on day two what it (black armband) was for and told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I’m happy to say that. The armband makes no sense to me."

The Pakistan-born batter made crucial contributions with the bat in the opening Test, scoring 41 in a first-innings partnership with David Warner. The southpaw made another 90 in the 2nd innings to set up a 450-run target for the visitors.

"That consistency hasn’t been done yet" - Usman Khawaja

Usman Khawaja. (Image Credits: Twitter)

The left-handed opener also asserted that he will be challenging ICC's regulations and vouch for consistency. The 36-year-old said:

"I respect what the ICC (says) and the rules and regulations they have. I will be asking them and contesting they make it fair and equitable for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That consistency hasn’t been done yet. What I wrote on my shoes, I thought about it for a while."