Viral cricket photo is perfect response after trophy presentation furore
Usman Khawaja has put an end to the storm surrounding the Australian cricket team’s decision to drop its traditional trophy celebrations.
Usman Khawaja has put an end to the furore surrounding the Australian cricket team’s decision to drop its traditional champagne spray celebrations.
The star batter has shared an image of him drinking a diet coke from inside the team’s dressing room celebrations following their World Test Championship final triumph over India in London.
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Photos show Khawaja holding the ICC World Test Championship Mace in one hand and his soft drink of choice in the other.
His post comes after the team was dragged into a storm surrounding its decision to celebrate without champagne during the official trophy presentations on Sunday night.
It was a Twitter post by former UK politician Nigel Farage that resulted in the celebrations suddenly becoming a social media scandal.
“Once again the Australian cricket team do not celebrate in champagne style because 1 of the team members is a Muslim,” the ex-UK Independence Party leader wrote.
“Are we all to suspend normal life because of the minority?”
It is far from the first time under Test captain Pat Cummins that the Aussie team has foregone champagne during its celebrations — and the fast bowler was widely praised last summer for pulling his team up in the middle of the Ashes series victory celebrations to allow Khawaja to join in.
Khawaja is a Muslim who does not drink alcohol.
The Aussie team was spotted later in the night gathering in a huddle on the turf at The Oval to sing its traditional song ‘Under the Southern Cross I Stand’.
After a pretty lengthy build-up and a lot of jokes and laughter, Nathan Lyon finally leads the Aussies in a loud rendition of Under the Southern Cross, while raising a “mace†for the first time ever #WTC2023Finalpic.twitter.com/N2q2WAKb0g
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) June 11, 2023
According to SBS, some Australian players were seen spraying their bottles in the air during the celebration — but none were standing near Khawaja at the time.
Farage’s tweet was met with an avalanche of angry responses, but the most perfect one may have came from the 36-year-old himself.
“Celebrating with a Diet Coke! Some old heads call it Un-Australian. I call it the new Australians,” Khawaja posted on Instagram.
“A game for all! #worldchampions.”
He was far from the only one enjoying that sentiment.
Cricket writer Kit Harris posted on Twitter: “It’s called “mateship. I know it doesn’t exist in politics, but it does in sport — especially Australian sport.
“When it comes to the Australian cricket team, Usman Khawaja isn’t a “minority”. He’s their opening batsman. I imagine the players felt the tradition of taking a celebratory photo with the whole team was more important than the tradition of throwing an alcoholic drink over each other.”
Cricket journalist Greg Baum wrote: “Pretty simple really: they care more about Usman than champagne. I understand that that might be a difficult concept for some”.
Veteran Australian sports journalist Ray Gatt wrote: “You are a dumbass. Pure and simple. It’s called respect. The players will have celebrated with beer and whatever in the dressing room.”
Aussie players were seen celebrating with beverages of their choice inside the dressing room, including adorable couple Mitchell Starc and Alyssa Healy, who appeared to enjoy a special moment together drinking a beer out in the middle of the ground.
The Aussies deserved it.
The win over India saw Australia become the first nation to win every single major ICC title and the dressing room clebrations were naturally spirited
Children and partners alike got their chance to celebrate the team’s success, and the photos that resulted have melted the hearts of the cricket world.
Travis Head’s daughter Milla was snapped in awe at the World Test Championship mace alongside partner Jessica, while the Labuschagne and Khawaja families shared time together as well.
The Labuschagnes’ newborn daughter Hallie rocked her father’s Baggy Green alongside the youngest Khawaja, Ayla.
The pair, whose Brisbane-based families share one of the closer bonds in the Australian dressing room, were born within a few months of each other.
The eldest Khawaja daughter, Aisha, is almost three and was seen at The Oval wearing a kid-sized Australian jersey with “KHAWAJA” emblazoned across the back.
Other partners were also seen at the ground, with Starc’s wife and Australian women’s captain Alyssa Healy at The Oval to witness the kind of success her own side will look to emulate as they take on England for the Women’s Ashes.
Healy, leading the national team in the absence of Meg Lanning (who steps away for medical reasons), will take the helm in a three-day warm-up game against England A at Grace Road in three days time ahead of a blockbuster Test at Trent Bridge, before heading into three T20Is and three ODIs.
The men’s side now immediately look to their own Ashes series, which begins with the First Test at Edgbaston at 7:30pm AEST on Friday 16 June.
From there, the series moves to Lord’s for the Second Test, Headingley for the Third Test, Old Trafford for the Fourth and The Oval for the Fifth Test.
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