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Usman Khawaja's campaign to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza stepped up a notch when he got to display the peace dove in his BBL knock.
Usman Khawaja has finally had his chance to showcase the dove and olive branch symbols of peace in a BBL cameo innings for the Brisbane Heat.
The imagery was displayed by the Heat captain on his shoes and on his bat in his knock of 14 from eight deliveries at the Gabba against Perth on Wednesday night.
It was part of Khawaja's campaign to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He was barred from doing so by the International Cricket Council in the recent Test series against Pakistan, but Cricket Australia supported his move, and the opportunity presented itself in the BBL.
Khawaja had the peace symbols and a reference to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on his shoes and his bat for four deliveries - before he broke it.
He had to call for a new bat, but the replacement did not have the symbols displayed.
The dove and olive branch have been representative of peace, love and harmony for millennia, with the symbolism used in the Old Testament in the Bible, by the ancient Greeks and various cultures and belief systems.
The significance of the "01:UDHR' that Khawaja displayed in small letters is its reference to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
It states: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
Khawaja has received backing from his Australian and Brisbane Heat colleagues for his actions.
"The team has obviously been very supportive of him and what he is trying to do," Heat and Australia teammate Marnus Labuschagne said.
Khawaja returned to captain the Heat against the Scorchers, where he was joined by Labuschagne.
On Saturday both will join the Australian side in Adelaide, where they will prepare for the first Test against the West Indies, which begins on January 17.
