Usman Khawaja, the opening batsman for Australia, silently protested the war in Gaza by wearing a black armband and attempting to display slogans on his shoes during the first Test against Pakistan. However, he was told by Cricket Australia that this violated ICC rules on messages related to politics, religion, or race. Khawaja covered the slogans with semi-transparent tape, leaving them visible only in close-up. Cricket Australia stated that Khawaja was wearing the armband as a show of solidarity and he has vowed to fight the ban on his footwear, calling it “a humanitarian appeal.” Captain Pat Cummins expressed pride in Khawaja and other teammates who have spoken up for what they believe in.