Former Australian all-rounder Simon O'Donnell has come down hard on Usman Khawaja's plans to display a pro-Palestine message on his footwear for the first Test against Pakistan.
Khawaja was pictured wearing shoes which featured messages reading "Freedom is a human right" and "All lives are equal" during a training session on Tuesday, and confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald that he intended to wear the shoes in the Perth Test starting Thursday.
O'Donnell, who played six Tests for Australia, condemned Khawaja's planned silent protest.
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"I fully respect Usman Khawaja's beliefs personally … he should be able to state his beliefs on his own platform," he told SEN.
"But while he's representing Australia he has no right, nil, zero, to bring his personal beliefs and instill those onto others."
O'Donnell's view echoed that of former Australian paceman Rodney Hogg.
"We the public of Australia want to see our players playing for Australia and not making political statements," Hogg wrote in a statement on his Facebook account.
"Cricket Australia review their contracts otherwise they will turn supporters away from the game."
Khawaja, a proud Muslim man, has been outspoken on the Israel-Palestine conflict on his personal social media accounts in recent weeks.
The 36-year-old opener's plans for a silent protest were strongly backed by Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells.
"As Federal Sport Minister I have always advocated for athletes having the right to a voice and to speak up on matters important to them," she said.
"Usman Khawaja is a great athlete and a great Australian. He should have every right to speak up on matters that are important to him.
"He has done so in a peaceful and respectful way. He has done so as an individual and expressed an individual opinion that does not compromise the Australian cricket team's obligations to the ICC."
It remains to be seen whether Khawaja will be allowed to display the messages on his shoes, with the ICC historically frowning upon players promoting political messages.
In 2014, the England all-rounder Moeen Ali was asked to remove wristbands with the phrases "Save Gaza" and "Free Palestine" during a Test match against India, of which former Aussie opener David Boon was match referee.
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