UZZIE THREAT
WARNING ARMBAND STANCE COULD END CAREER
Cricket’s most famous freedom fighter has supported Usman Khawaja’s right to wear a black armband but warned his stance could have career-threatening consequences.
Former Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olonga was responsible for cricket’s bravest black armband protest in the 2003 World Cup when he and Andrew Flower wore the bands against Namibia to mourn “the death of democracy’’ under their nation’s rogue president Robert Mugabe.
Adelaide-based Olonga watched with interest as Khawaja wore a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, supporting Khawaja’s Instagram post which spotlighted his distress at the human carnage in the Israel-Palestine war.
The International Cricket Council had not given Khawaja permission to wear the armband and, as it mulls over what action to take against what Khawaja calls his humanitarian “All Lives Are Equal’’ stance, Olonga believes the ICC’s position has been severely compromised by double standards.
“The same people saying politics and sport don’t mix are the same people parading (Australian Prime Minister) Anthony Albanese and (Indian Prime Minister) Narendra Modi in a chariot at the cricket in India and giving them a platform at a sporting event to show solidarity,’’ Olonga said.
“So when it is convenient for the ICC they are happy to parade politicians so it’s hard with clean hands for them to come down on Uzzie. It’s weird that they pick and choose their political causes.’’
Olonga was dropped during the World Cup and never played again for his country. He and Flower have lived abroad ever since and, while pointing out several key differences in Khawaja’s stance, Olonga has warned the batter of the consequences of overpushing his point.
“My concern is that if Uzzie digs his heels in he may well find himself on the wrong side of everything. The question is when should he back off? Has he made his point? Should he back off now? Does he keep going?
“In the case of (rugby union’s) Israel Folau (who took a religion-based stance against homosexuality), he kept going and lost his career. I kept going and I lost my career.
“History will suggest if Uzzie keeps going this could end his career. I hope it doesn’t. I hope Australia is a much more tolerant country.
“I think it is very hard for them to condemn Uzzie for standing up for human rights, irrespective of which side of the argument you are on.”
“I think the ICC may well pass the buck (to Cricket Australia) and they would do well to do that otherwise they would be so hypercritical,” Olonga said.