On the eve of Australia’s Boxing Day Test, ICC disallowed batter Usman Khawaja from having the words “All lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” show on his shoes. A few days later, a sticker on his shoes featuring a dove with olive leaf – universal symbols for peace – was disallowed too. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the second request was turned down because Khawaja’s submission to ICC featured the words “Middle East”.
Within a few
On the eve of Australia’s Boxing Day Test, ICC disallowed batter Usman Khawaja from having the words “All lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” show on his shoes. A few days later, a sticker on his shoes featuring a dove with olive leaf – universal symbols for peace – was disallowed too. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the second request was turned down because Khawaja’s submission to ICC featured the words “Middle East”.
Within a few hours, Khawaja’s Instagram had images of ICC allowing cricketers to use personal images much like his own. West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran has a Christian cross on his bat, South Africa's Keshav Maharaj an Om sign. The eagle sticker on Marnus Labuschagne’s bat represents his favourite Bible verse, Isaiah 40:31.
On seeing these images former ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat felt “real disappointment” at the actions of the cricket ruling body where he once worked for between 2008 and 2012. “It was evidence to Mr Khawaja that the ICC was not consistent in applying its own rules.” Another sign, Lorgat says, that “ICC lacks strong leadership in current times. It has become a nondescript organisation… the public is not assured of what ICC is doing and that is a real disappointment. I wish they took a lead on issues, but regrettably they seem to prefer being reactionary.”
After retirement from ICC, Lorgat has stayed away from cricket’s contentious issues. When the Khawaja news first reached him, “My initial impression, when ICC reacted and cited their code of conduct I thought its probable that Mr Khawaja may have flouted the code. But when Mr Khawaja showed other examples where players were free to express or show personal endorsements… I can’t see how ICC can now deny Mr Khawaja. That’s double standards.”
Lorgat agreed with former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding who said ICC had no moral or ethical leadership any more. “Along with a lack of moral leadership, as Mr Holding said, they have seemingly lost leadership of any kind. You hardly see ICC leading on issues, let alone introducing anything of significance to protect and direct the game. If you asked people who leads ICC today, they won’t be able to tell you. It’s as if they operate in the shadows and appear on a reactionary basis, like in this Khawaja matter.”
When informed that Khawaja’s dove sticker request was turned down due to the words “middle east” in his submission, Lorgat said, “yeah, so what? Usman’s statement ‘all lives are equal…’ was calling for peace. He never referenced anyone in particular. So, if somebody says all lives are equal and you show a peace dove with it, you can relate it to whichever part of the world you want to relate it to.
“It is a universal statement, and I’m saying (when) you prevent somebody from saying that you have to question their morality. Holding was correct.”
At the start of the decade, ICC permitted players to “take a knee” on the field in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and as Holding pointed out “having stumps covered in LGBTQ colours.”
When asked whether it was difficult to balance political/propaganda messaging and solidarity statements during his ICC tenure, Lorgat said, “I think the world is more polarised today than ever before, so it is clearly more challenging. During my time at the ICC, the big challenge was around safety and security as marked by the attack in 2009 on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. That was more topical than the political issues that are prevalent today. But ICC is a global body and it should be prepared to handle such issues in a strategic and consistent manner.”
While removed from ICC developments over the last decade, Lorgat said he had sensed a waning of its authority. “Over the years, I believe it has become weaker.” Could that be BCCI’s strong-arming ICC on many issues like revamping revenue sharing or the chaotic organisation of ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup? Lorgat said, “that’s (World Cup) like the evidence, or manifestation, that ICC is not leading… the tickets, for example, came out a few weeks before and the fixtures, then altered, a couple of months before. There are rules in the hosting of ICC events, which ICC itself did not apply in this case. Maybe this is a consequence of having lost the balance of power around the boardroom table. It seems now like a case of the tail wagging the dog.”
Global cricket is in a precarious position today, private franchise leagues overturning its fundamental nation v nation bilateral structure. Lorgat said, “You don’t need strong leadership when things are going well, you need leadership when the game is troubled. And right now, I think a lot happens by accident rather than by design.”
It is in his native South Africa that the latest visible impact of franchise cricket over international fixtures has taken place. After the two-Test series against India, South Africa will tour New Zealand with seven debutants in their 14-man squad, including captain Neil Brand. “I don’t think it’s unique to South Africa - most parts of the world have this situation. West Indies have been down that track for a while. They prioritise the T20 leagues over international fixtures…”
When asked whether he had advice for ICC over this dilemma, Lorgat said, “It is arguably too late to arrest the slide because of the growth of these leagues, both commercially and contractually. CSA has bound itself to its co-shareholder (broadcaster) in contracts to play the best players in the SAT20. If they go to New Zealand, they fall foul of the deal they signed… I suspect some of the other leagues have done the same. So, how do we reverse the slide?”
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