Usman Khawaja refuses to speak to SEN during West Indies Test, reportedly over Peter Lalor's axing
Usman Khawaja has refused to speak to radio broadcaster SEN after day one of the first Test against the West Indies in Bridgetown.
It has been reported the Australia opener's decision was in response to SEN standing down cricket journalist Peter Lalor earlier this year over pro-Palestinian social media posts.
Lalor, covering the West Indies series for his Cricket Et Al podcast, said he was grateful for Khawaja's support.
"Usman is a man of principle whose support I valued greatly when I was dismissed and whose ongoing support I appreciate," he said in a statement.
Cricket Australia has been contacted for comment.
Khawaja was a vocal supporter of Lalor after he was let go by SEN during Australia's Test tour of Sri Lanka.
"Standing up for the people of Gaza is not antisemitic 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," Khawaja wrote on Instagram.
"It has everything to do with justice and human rights. Unfortunately hatred towards the Jewish and Muslim community will always exist.
"Pete is a good guy with a good heart. He deserves better."
Khawaja has made several statements on social media and tried to do the same on the field in the past.
The 38-year-old was banned by the ICC from displaying the message "All lives are equal" and "Freedom is a human right" on his shoes during a 2023 Test against Pakistan.
He opted to wear a black armband and tape over the messages on his playing kit.
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ABC News
43 minutes ago
- ABC News
Can Trump bomb Iran and still be 'America First'?
Sam Hawley: Donald Trump was elected on the promise of putting America first and staying out of foreign conflicts. So the US president's decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities caused the first and very public split among his Make America Great Again base with influential figures like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon leading the charge against it. Today, senior political correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Molly Ball, on the fighting MAGA factions and what it means for Trump. I'm Sam Hawley on Gadigal land in Sydney. This is ABC News Daily. Molly, there has been a ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war this week. Just tell me, how big a win is that for Donald Trump? Is Donald Trump a peacemaker? Molly Ball: That is certainly the impression he would like everyone to take away from this episode. I think we are all waiting to learn more about the results of this American intervention in the conflict between Israel and Iran before we can say for sure that that's the case. But the case being made by the Trump administration is that this was an overwhelming victory, that the United States got involved in a very limited fashion and was able to deploy overwhelming force to bring the parties to heel, to bring everyone to the negotiating table and force a very quick end to this conflict in a way that leaves everyone better off and leaves the nuclear threat from Iran potentially permanently, or at least in the very long term, disabled. I think the caution is that there's still a lot that we don't know about what is left of Iran's nuclear capabilities and whether this ceasefire will hold. But for now, as Trump was boasting in the Netherlands, the administration would like this to be seen as an overwhelming success. Donald Trump, U.S President: That had ended the war. I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended that with a war. If we didn't take that out, they'd be fighting right now. Sam Hawley: All right, well, let's unpack how this all played out for Donald Trump and his MAGA base, because there really is a fascinating backstory to this. To understand it, it's good to remember that the MAGA movement is all about isolationism, making America great again, America first. Molly Ball: Well, on the one hand, yes. Trump has distinguished himself among Republicans by being relatively skeptical of the use of military force, and in particular, being a very harsh critic of the wars that the US was still somewhat embroiled in when he began campaigning for president in 2015, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was very critical of the administration, former President George W. Bush, for going into Iraq under what he, and I think most people would term, false pretenses. Donald Trump, 2015: And I said, if you go after one or the other, in this case, Iraq, you're going to destabilize the Middle East. That's what's gonna happen. You're gonna destabilize the Middle East. And that's exactly what happened. We totally destabilized the Middle East. We have now migrations, largely because of what's happened afterwards. You know, Iraq was horrible. It was stupid to go in. We should have never gone in. Molly Ball: He also vowed to pull the United States out of Afghanistan, although it was his successor, Joe Biden, who ended up rather messily completing that task. And he has consistently said that he believes in peace. He doesn't believe in nation building or expending American resources on fighting other countries' battles abroad. I think he and many of his allies would argue that he is not an isolationist per se, but he stands for America first, which means that we only become involved when we see it in our clear national interest to do so. And there's a skepticism of multilateralism and of large-scale foreign alliances that of course we've seen play out over both of Trump's terms. Sam Hawley: Well, let's Molly, step through how all this played out. When Israel first started its strikes on Iran on the 13th of June, Donald Trump's administration was really like, we have nothing to do with this. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stressed that Israel was acting on its own. Just remind me about the initial response. Molly Ball: That's right. It was this very interesting dance that played out where at first it did appear that the administration wanted to separate itself from what was happening. And this came after some weeks, if not months, of Trump seeming to distance himself from Israel and from Prime Minister Netanyahu. Trump recently took his first foreign trip to the Middle East. He went to Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, but he did not visit Israel, as is somewhat traditional for American presidents to do. So the initial impression of what was unfolding in the Middle East was that the administration was distant from this and was even potentially disapproving of it. We've subsequently reported that there was a lot of discussion and argument within the administration between different officials who had different views of the conflict. But it was only a matter of hours until Trump himself weighed in. And he seemed much more eager than his own Secretary of State to sort of take ownership of what was happening. He was saying no, no, that he had spoken to Netanyahu before this happened, that he approved of what was happening and viewed the US as much more of a partner in the conflict. So those early signals turned out to have been a bit of a red herring. Sam Hawley: So then Trump grows more publicly supportive of the Israeli strikes. And at that point, it becomes pretty clear, doesn't it, that there's a split emerging in the MAGA world. And there are these two factions. Just explain those. Molly Ball: You know, for many in Trump's political base, I'm thinking of extremely Trump loyal politicians, elected officials, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Congresswoman from Georgia. She spoke very strongly against any kind of American involvement. The media personality, podcaster Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, who of course is very close to Trump and introduced him at the Republican convention last summer, also spoke very strongly against what was happening as well as the sort of MAGA propagandist and former Trump White House strategist, Steve Bannon. So you did have these very prominent forces who are seen as sort of speaking for the populist nationalist Trump ideology, who were all counseling very strongly against any kind of American involvement. Sam Hawley: So these figures, Molly, they're going pretty hard against America getting involved in this conflict between Israel and Iran. You mentioned, of course, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a big supporter of Donald Trump's. She was on CNN. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican Congresswoman : The MAGA is not a cult and I'm entitled to my own opinion. I can support the president at the same time as I say, I don't think we should have foreign wars. Sam Hawley: And she also appeared on Steve Bannon's podcast, War Room. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican Congresswoman : Six months in, six months in, Steve, and here we are, turning back on the campaign promises and we bombed Iran on behalf of Israel. Yes, it was on behalf of Israel. And you wanna know the people that are cheering it on right now? Their tune is going to drastically change the minute we start seeing flag-draped coffins. Sam Hawley: And there was this exchange between Tucker Carlson on his podcast with the Republican Ted Cruz. Tucker Carlson, podcast host: How many people live in Iran, by the way? Ted Cruz, US Senator: I don't know the population. Tucker Carlson, podcast host: At all? Ted Cruz, US Senator: No, I don't know the population. Yeah, I- Tucker Carlson, podcast host: How could you not know that? Ted Cruz, US Senator: I don't sit around memorising population tables. Tucker Carlson, podcast host: Well, it's kind of relevant because you're calling for the overthrow of the government. Sam Hawley: They're really not holding back. Molly Ball: That's right. I think these are also voices that have tended to be a bit more skeptical of the American relationship with Israel than many in the Republican Party and on the right have traditionally been. On the other hand, you know, other voices both in the political movement and certainly in the administration were counseling that this was something that we should be involved in, you know, reminding Trump that he has always said for many years that for Iran to have a nuclear weapon would be bad for the United States, bad for Israel, and bad for the world. And this was invoked by Trump repeatedly as he began to accelerate his threats toward the Iranians, talking about the ultimatum that he had given for the negotiation of a new nuclear deal, which had elapsed and which he said was the reason that the Israeli strikes were happening when they did, and basically saying that if they weren't going to negotiate, this was going to be the consequence. And then there was this period of waiting where it wasn't at all clear what he was going to do. And he in fact came out and said, nobody knows what I'm going to do. And the world was sort of on tender hooks for about a week. Sam Hawley: So on the one side, there's these isolationists, Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and then of course on the other side, there's this deeply pro-Israel camp. A fascinating split though, right, in the MAGA world. Molly Ball: It is a fascinating split, although in retrospect, it looks perhaps less significant if it does turn out to be the case that this was simply a matter of a limited strike and not, you know, a years-long American-involvement in a new war. I think it's a very interesting point. in terms of the American involvement in a new war. I think if that were what was happening, we would see much more dissent. If all it was was an airstrike, I think very few people would ever have argued that America first means that the United States never deploys any kind of military force. And indeed in Trump's first term, there were several occasions in which he deployed American military force, but the point is that there are not ground troops, there are not Americans dying in another country, and there is not a prolonged entanglement in a foreign conflict. So I think everyone's being cautious and wary and wants to see how this plays out, but if in fact that was the end of it, then I don't think there's a lot of hurt feelings on either side. Sam Hawley: Yeah, although there was a fair bit of concern, wasn't there, when Trump then went a bit further and started talking about the idea of regime change in Iran? Molly Ball: Well, regime change is very much what the America first movement is against. It's sort of a part and parcel of the nationalism that Trump and his allies believe in, that countries should look out for their own interests and should not be fighting the battles of others and recklessly spill American blood and treasure. I think if you did have the United States setting out to change the Iranian regime, you would likely have much more dissent from MAGA World. If he then embarked on something that looked similar to those regime change wars of the past, he would come in for quite a bit of criticism. Sam Hawley: All right, well, Molly, the MAGA base that supported his actions say he should get a Nobel Peace Prize. I think that's what Donald Trump would really like. But if the strikes didn't actually obliterate Iran's nuclear program and there is deep uncertainty over whether or not they did, there'd still be, wouldn't there, some seemingly unhappy people within MAGA? Or do they just let that go? Molly Ball: I think that remains to be seen. I think the lodestar of the MAGA movement is and will always be Donald Trump. His critics would call it a cult of personality, but they believe very deeply in his wisdom and his decision making. So there is a lot of trust in him. There is a lot of willingness to be guided by what he sees as best and by the arguments that he makes, even when they can sometimes be quite inconsistent. I think we're all waiting to learn more about what the end result of all this has been and how tenuous this momentary peace actually is. Trump has said many times that he wants and believes he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, whether that's because of the competitiveness that he feels with former President Obama or simply a manifestation of his rather sizable ego. But if it does turn out that this is the beginning of a lasting peace in the Middle East, it sounds far-fetched, but that would certainly be a remarkable thing if it were to happen. Sam Hawley: And what about those early critics, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Molly, we do know that Donald Trump likes to surround himself with true loyalists. So is he really going to keep them in the fold or would he prefer them not to be there anymore? What do you reckon? Molly Ball: I don't think anybody's getting exiled or kicked out of the movement for this. And I think a vigorous debate was had that was quite interesting and quite revealing about the sort of contours of the Trump movement. But at the end of the day, people come and go from Trump's orbit, but as long as he feels that they ultimately believe in what he believes in and have his sort of political best interests at heart, he doesn't tend to kick them out. Sam Hawley: Molly Ball is a senior political correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. This episode was produced by Sydney Pead. Audio production by Sam Dunn. Our supervising producer is David Coady. I'm Sam Hawley. ABC News Daily will be back again on Monday. Thanks for listening.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Cricketer Amelia Kerr on how family saved her amid mental health battle
A desire to 'protect the people I love most' initially led star WBBL cricketer Amelia Kerr to try to hide her 'unbearable sadness' from her family. But after they surprised the young all-rounder with a lifesaving intervention that made her feel as if 'she was at her own funeral', their support became crucial to her ongoing management of anxiety and depression. Kerr took her game to another level in 2024 to be crowned player of the tournament during New Zealand's maiden T20 World Cup title run, and the International Cricket Council's Women's Cricketer of the Year. She was a prized pick-up for WBBL side the Sydney Sixers last season, after stints at the Brisbane Heat, and starred for the Mumbai Indians during their 2025 WPL title-winning season earlier this year. But reaching these heights has been anything but easy for the 24-year-old, who began to bottle up her emotions in her late teens because she felt she should be grateful to be 'living out my childhood dream' playing for the White Ferns. 'I was also living with the belief that everything I did had to be perfect. I never gave myself a break,' Kerr told News Corp's Can We Talk? campaign, in partnership with Medibank. 'My thoughts started to consume me and my only escape, the only place where my mind was clear and I felt like I could breathe, was training. 'I would get up early, train all day, then go to the pool at night and do recovery, so all I needed to do was come home eat, shower and try to sleep. 'I tried to avoid my family because I didn't want them to see the pain I was in.' Kerr said she believed that her loved ones couldn't fix her anguish, and therefore didn't want to burden them. But in 2021, the floodgates opened after she was sent home from a White Ferns training camp. Kerr said the decision angered her at the time, but she had since realised she 'had reached a crisis point' and needed 'serious help'. Teammate and close friend Maddy Green flew back with Kerr to her hometown of Wellington, where her parents, sister (fellow White Ferns cricketer Jess), grandparents, aunties and uncles staged a second intervention. A 10-minute, tear-filled speech by her dad, former Wellington player Robbie Kerr, was one of 'many powerful messages that night' that Kerr said gave her hope. 'I thought, 'My family need me here and I need to try get better for them',' she said. 'My family saved my life. 'They knew I was struggling, but they didn't quite know the degree. 'I was then taken to the crisis team at hospital (where) I spoke about how I was feeling. 'Everyone in that room was in tears.' Weekly sessions with a psychiatrist, medication and close monitoring followed, allowing Kerr to 'feel safe for once'. The talented bowler and batter also went public with her mental health battles when she pulled out of the White Ferns' 2021 tour of England. While she was 'scared' to be so open, doing so 'was me standing up for something I am passionate about, so it can provide others with hope that things can get better'. Kerr continues to manage her mental health through regular psychologist sessions, learning her 'warning signs' so she can ask for help before getting to a bad place, having a routine, practising gratitude and putting time towards activities that 'fill my cup' like exercise, being in nature, reading, playing guitar and being with loved ones. She also created Treading Water – a series on her website, in which 14 people share their stories of mental illness and recovery to 'help normalise those conversations'. Importantly, Kerr and her family have built 'a relationship of trust' in which she feels comfortable to 'tell them how I feel, and for them to do the same'. 'The experiences we have shared have made us even closer and more grateful for life,' she said.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Matildas vs Solvenia: Joe Montemurro's perfect start as Australia earns 3-0 win
Matildas forward Emily Gielnik gave new Australian women's coach Joe Montemurro the perfect start to his international coaching career less than three minutes into their friendly against Slovenia in Perth on Thursday night. Holly McNamara, who looked dangerous in attack all game, sealed the victory for him 83 minutes later. The 15th-ranked Matildas finished with a 3-0 win over the 38th ranked Slovenia after Hayley Raso followed McNamara into the net one minute later. It was an error-riddled performance from the Matildas though, they were lucky to have kept a clean sheet. New boss Montemurro wants his team to play a possession brand of football and they did that. Australia had almost 60 per cent possession, but a lot of it was in their own half, defending. Slovenia had 20 shots on goal, to the Matilda's 18. The second and final game of this series is on Sunday, ahead of two games against Panama, ranked 56 in the world, on 5 July and 8 July. Welcome back It wasn't the Matildas best squad on HBF Park, with at least half a dozen missing for different reasons. They did welcome a few back, who have missed recent internationals. Ellie Carpenter didn't play in the winning series against Argentina for personal reasons, but slotted straight back in. Raso returned from a quad tendon injury, while Mackenzie Arnold missed the last international window due to a leg injury sustained while playing for Portland Thorns. Raso entered the game in the 75th minute and had an instant impact She passed the ball to give McNamara her first international goal in her 10th appearance. And she scored the last one herself, a gift from Slovenia's defence. Arnold wasn't used, but Montemurro will surely play her on Sunday considering she is not available for the next series, against Panama. My goals Arnold's absence has left Teagan Micah in goal for recent games. She'd done well too and did so again on Thursday. The Matildas played four games this year before this clash with Slovenia, winning all four – two against Argentia and two against Korea Republic. Micah enjoyed clean sheets in three of them, letting in just one goal, against Argentina in a 4-1 win in Canberra on June 2. She had a few nervous moments on Thursday. Some poor passing by Australia's defenders gave Slovenia chances. They looked after Micah in the first half, Maya Sternad spraying one wide from close range and Spela Bolbl hitting the crossbar. Off target Micah was needed much more in the second half though, called upon to make five saves and was awarded with player of the match honours because of them. Slovenia was 5-1 going in international this year before Thursday night, beating Greece, twice, Turkey, twice and Ireland. Hitting the back of the net had not been a problem, scoring 12 goals in those five wins. Zara Kramzar and Lara Prasnikar have been scoring regularly. The radar was off for this pair and their teammate in Perth though. Kramzar had the perfect opportunity to level the game 1-1 in the 52nd minute after being gifted the ball by Matilda's defender Clare Hunt, but kicked it straight to a waiting Micah.. Prasnikar had several realistic scoring chances after half-time, but couldn't convert any of them.
