With a sure eye,soft hands and a deftly angled bat,Usman Khawaja defused a Shaheen Afridi outswinger in the first over of the Boxing Day Test. Deflected safely towards the turf,it slid away to the boundary to raise the first roar from an MCG crowd that peaked at 62,167 spectators.
If thwarted from wearing any of the humanitarian messages or logoshe had workshopped over the past two weeks,Khawaja has still managed to balance the roles of opening batter and outspoken campaigner against unnecessary loss of life.
A man apart:Usman Khawaja on Boxing Day.Credit:Getty Images
Khawaja’s innings of 42,affording a platform later utilised by Marnus Labuschagne,was the focus of more observers than it might normally have been. This was due to two weeks’ worth of headlines about his continuing efforts to raise awareness of humanitarian values - something Khawaja took up after being emotionally affected by distressing scenes in Gaza.
First denied a request to wear shoes adorned with the slogans“all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” during the Perth Test,Khawaja donned a black armband,for which he was eventually reprimanded by the International Cricket Council.
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