“Thank you to all” – Birthday boy Usman Khawaja expresses gratitude to fans for supporting him for raising his voice amid the Middle East conflict

Usman Khawaja, who is celebrating his 37th birthday today (Monday, December 18), has expressed his gratitude to fans for supporting him for raising his voice amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The star Australian opener used a couple of hashtags – All lives are equal and Freedom is a human right while writing that the reactions from people didn’t go unnoticed. He pointed out that everyone should learn from their past and build together a brighter future amid the ongoing war in West Asia.

Khawaja wrote on Instagram:

“Thank you to all those who supported and gave me love this week. It wasn't unnoticed 💕. There are a lot of kind hearted people out there. Nothing worthwhile is easy. History shows we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of our past. But together we can fight for a better future.”

Usman Khawaja wore a black armband during Perth Test

Usman Khawaja wore a black armband to show solidarity with those suffering in the Middle East during the first Test between Australia and Pakistan. The cricketer also questioned the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules that barred him from wearing shoes with humanitarian messages, unlike Black Lives Matter messages.

Speaking recently to Fox Sports, Khawaja said:

"I'm in full support of Black Lives Matter. There's plenty of guys who have written on their shoes before. There's other guys that have written religious things on their equipment, and under the ICC guidelines, that's not technically allowed, but the ICC never says anything on that."

He continued:

"I find it a little bit disappointing they came down hard on me and they don't always come down hard on everyone else."

On the professional front, Usman Khawaja returned with scores of 41 and 90 in his two innings. Australia won the game by 360 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series. Khawaja will next be in action during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, which starts on December 26.