‘So how the f*** people were allowed……’ – Michael Holding hits out at Apex Cricket Council over Usman Khawaja controversy

Australia’s star opener, Usman Khawaja, has been making headlines for wearing the black armband in the first Test game against Pakistan at Optus Stadium in Perth. However, the Apex Cricket Council also took action against him for his act of supporting Palestine during the ongoing war with Hamas. However, former West Indies great Michael Holding has lashed out at the Apex Cricket Council for giving the punishment to Khawaja.

The legendary cricketer has been following the top-order batter’s controversy, and he has not been surprised by the Apex Cricket Council’s punishment for him against the Pakistan game. However, the former right-arm pacer had lashed out at them while saying the cricketing body lacked the moral standing of the organisation, and they showed their hypocrisy. Michael Holding says that some other organisation would have at least shown some humanity in such an incident before punishing the player.

“I have been following the Khawaja fiasco and I cannot say I’m surprised by their stance. If it had been most other organizations that showed some semblance of consistency with their attitude and behaviour on issues I could claim surprise, but not them. Once again, they show their hypocrisy and lack of moral standing as an organization,” Michael Holding told The Weekend Australian.

“The Cricket Governing Body regulations say re messaging ‘approval shall not be granted for messages which relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes’. So how the f*** people were allowed to take a knee for BLM and stumps were covered with LGBTQ colours?”,” he added further.

 Check here the rule which harmed Usman Khawaja:

Meanwhile, the Apex Cricket Council’s rule clearly states that the player can’t wear or display any personal messages during the game, regardless of the clothing or equipment. In addition, the rule clarified that players cannot use the armbands to display or convey their message.

“Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey personal messages on their clothing, equipment or otherwise, irrespective of whether such messages are affixed to clothing, equipment or otherwise and whether such messages are displayed or conveyed through the use of the specific clothing or other items (eg. an armband) or by the use of words, symbol, graphic message, images or otherwise,” the rules state.