Australia batter Usman Khawaja has defended the actions of commentator Peter Lalor after he was sacked during the opening Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle for posts over the Israel-Hamas war. The reaction came on Khawaja’s Instagram story where he backed the fired journalist who had reposted stories about Israeli attacks in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The incident has been met with mixed reactions as the Aussies now prepare for the second Test match.
Khawaja defends sacked commentator
"Standing up for the people of Gaza is not anti-Semitic nor does it have anything to do with my Jewish brothers and sisters in Australia but everything to do with the Israeli government and their deplorable actions. It has everything to do with justice and human rights. Unfortunately, hatred towards the Jewish and Muslim community will always exist. Pete is good guy with a good heart. He deserves better," said Khawaja on his Instagram story.
In the middle of the opening Test against Sri Lanka, controversy erupted as Lalor was asked by Craig Hutchison, station in charge of SEN Radio to step down from his role with immediate effect. Lalor also revealed that he received two calls from senior management before being sacked.
“I was told in one call there were serious organisations making complaints; in another I was told that this was not the case,” Lalor wrote in his statement.
ALSO READ | Manchester City spend whopping $224mn in winter transfer window despite financial charges
“Perhaps I misunderstood. I was told there were accusations I was antisemitic which I strongly objected to. I was told my retweeting was not balanced, and insensitive to one side and that many people had complained.”
This is not the first time Khawaja has spoken up for the people of Gaza, having previously shown support for the war-prone region after Israel’s attack in retaliation.
For now, the focus is on the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia as the visitors look to close the World Test Championship (WTC) round-robin campaign on a high before facing South Africa in the final in June.