Usman Khawaja finally got the chance to display peace symbols on his cricket gear, but the gesture ended somewhat awkwardly.
Suiting up for the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Wednesday night, Australia's Test opener displayed the dove and olive branch symbol on his bat and his shoes - a universal symbol of peace.
His efforts to display it and similar sentiments during the Test series against Pakistan had been thwarted by the International Cricket Council.
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The world cricket body initially banned Khawaja from displaying the words "All Lives Are Equal" and "Freedom Is A Human Right" on his shoes during the first match in Perth.
The Aussie batter instead donned a black armband - which he claimed was for a personal grievance - and was punished by the ICC for doing so.
Khawaja asked the ICC if he could display the dove symbol for the second match in Melbourne, but was again blocked.
Cricket Australia had no such issue with Khawaja's gesture and so he stuck the symbol on his gear when returning to the BBL on Wednesday, finally getting his chance to publicly call for peace amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
But the bat donning the dove symbol lasted only four balls, when Khawaja was forced to swap it after hitting a boundary early in his innings.
"I think I actually broke it with the first four, I think I hit the next four with a broken bat," Khawaja said on the BBL broadcast.
"I looked down and realised what had happened. I had no idea, but it made sense — I just thought I was shanking them."
Khawaja batted on with his second bat, before being dismissed for 14 soon after.
He later revealed he almost didn't take a second bat to the Gabba, and only thought to do so when his wife pointed it out.
"That's crapped itself just there," Khawaja said of his initial bat.
"The shoulder of the blade has broken off. I said to the wife today... 'I think I'm just going to go with one bat'. She said 'you can't just go with one bat'.
"I said 'I think I'll be all right'. I ended up packing one other bat. Doesn't even have face (protector) on it.
"She is the prepared one. You know what the wives do, they look after us. I just go with the flow."
Khawaja will return to Australian camp ahead of next week's first Test against the West Indies in Adelaide.
Usman Khawaja finally got the chance to display peace symbols on his cricket gear, but the gesture ended somewhat awkwardly.
Suiting up for the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Wednesday night, Australia's Test opener displayed the dove and olive branch symbol on his bat and his shoes - a universal symbol of peace.
His efforts to display it and similar sentiments during the Test series against Pakistan had been thwarted by the International Cricket Council.
READ MORE: Chappell urges selectors to have Smith 'conversation'
READ MORE: De Minaur stuns world No.2 as giant-killing run continues
READ MORE: Star's recall adds mystery to Aussie selection battle
The world cricket body initially banned Khawaja from displaying the words "All Lives Are Equal" and "Freedom Is A Human Right" on his shoes during the first match in Perth.
The Aussie batter instead donned a black armband - which he claimed was for a personal grievance - and was punished by the ICC for doing so.
Khawaja asked the ICC if he could display the dove symbol for the second match in Melbourne, but was again blocked.
Cricket Australia had no such issue with Khawaja's gesture and so he stuck the symbol on his gear when returning to the BBL on Wednesday, finally getting his chance to publicly call for peace amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
But the bat donning the dove symbol lasted only four balls, when Khawaja was forced to swap it after hitting a boundary early in his innings.
"I think I actually broke it with the first four, I think I hit the next four with a broken bat," Khawaja said on the BBL broadcast.
"I looked down and realised what had happened. I had no idea, but it made sense — I just thought I was shanking them."
Khawaja batted on with his second bat, before being dismissed for 14 soon after.
He later revealed he almost didn't take a second bat to the Gabba, and only thought to do so when his wife pointed it out.
"That's crapped itself just there," Khawaja said of his initial bat.
"The shoulder of the blade has broken off. I said to the wife today... 'I think I'm just going to go with one bat'. She said 'you can't just go with one bat'.
"I said 'I think I'll be all right'. I ended up packing one other bat. Doesn't even have face (protector) on it.
"She is the prepared one. You know what the wives do, they look after us. I just go with the flow."
Khawaja will return to Australian camp ahead of next week's first Test against the West Indies in Adelaide.
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