Latest news with #PeterLalor
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Another Israel vs Palestine scandal hits Aussie cricket as star Usman Khawaja stuns with shock boycott
Aussie cricket star Usman Khawaja has turned heads after sensationally boycotting a post-game interview in the Caribbean with major media outlet SEN following day one of the first Test against the West Indies. It comes after the 24/7 sports business controversially sacked journalist Peter Lalor earlier this year. Respected cricket reporter Lalor posted a series of tweets and retweets about the war in Gaza when Australia were touring Sri Lanka in February - and the freelancer was promptly shown the door by SEN during a Test match in Galle. The decision followed Lalor's social media activity, which included reposts of news articles about Israeli airstrikes as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners. On Thursday morning AEDT, Khawaja - who scored a dogged 47 in Australia 's disappointing first innings of 180 in Bridgetown - reportedly rejected a request to chat to SEN commentators after stumps at Kensington Oval. It is understood the veteran opening batsman spotted an SEN microphone and then informed reporters Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan he wouldn't be doing an interview. Lalor, who is also covering the three-Test series, said in a statement: 'Usman is a man of principle whose support I valued greatly when I was dismissed and whose ongoing support I appreciate.' In late 2023, Khawaja - who is a practising Muslim - attracted headlines after his human rights protest ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the MCG. The cricket star also donned a black armband during the first Test in Perth to show support for civilians in Gaza. And much to his dismay before the first Test, Khawaja was banned by Cricket Australia and the ICC from wearing shoes bearing the messages 'freedom is a human right' and 'all lives matter'. At the time, Khawaja said he felt frustrated after he was forced to cover the messages on his shoes with tape. 'It's just a little bit disappointing. I don't really see the controversy of [saying] all lives matter and saying freedom is a human right,' he said. 'I don't see where it becomes political ... I find it hard to accept where people find what I said distasteful. 'It makes me feel a little bit uneasy that people find those words uneasy. 'It's been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for, I guess... I'll always stand up for what I believe in, even if people don't agree with me or don't like me saying it. 'I want to look back on my career and say, look, I stood up for my values, I respect what I did on the field, but I also respect myself for what I did off the field... that means more to me.'
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Man of principle': Usman Khawaja boycotts SEN over Peter Lalor's axing
Australian opener Usman Khawaja has decided to boycott SEN in protest over the popular network's sacking of veteran cricket journalist Peter Lalor. After Australian players left the field following a disappointing opening day of play in their first Test against the West Indies in Bridgetown, the 38-year-old was scheduled to do a prerecorded interview with SEN. However, as he left the field, Khawaja informed SEN commentators Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan that he would not be talking to them or anyone from the SEN network. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja's decision was a direct result of SEN's decision to dismiss Lalor earlier this year, which was called out at the time by the Test cricket star. Earlier this year Lalor was on the ground in Sri Lanka covering Australia's Test match in Galle for SEN, when he was informed on the final morning of the first Test by the station's chief executive Craig Hutchison that his services were no longer required. Station management reportedly took exception to his social media activity, which included re-posts of news stories about Israeli attacks in Gaza, and followed the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. He was then dismissed as his views and comments reportedly made listeners 'uncomfortable'. Hutchison said in a statement that Lalor would be leaving the network due to 'differing views' over the impact the posts on his personal social media accounts had on members of the Australian community. Khawaja was quick to condemn the move labelling it 'unbelievable'. '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 said at the time. '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.' And Khawaja has not moved on, continuing to refuse interviews with the network, something the veteran cricket reporter – who now puts all his efforts into his Cricket Et Al podcast – greatly appreciated. 'Usman is a man of principle whose support I valued greatly when I was dismissed and whose ongoing support I appreciate,' Lalor said in a statement following news of Khawaja's SEN snub. In February, Lalor opened up on his side of the story, in a post that was later shared by Khawaja. '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. '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. 'I was asked by station boss Craig Hutchison, who was civil if I didn't care that my retweeting of events in Gaza made Jewish people in Melbourne feel unsafe. I said I didn't want anyone to feel unsafe. Of course, I care. I have friends who are frightened and have heard the fear in their voices during conversations. It is an awful situation. But so is Gaza. It was a brief and cordial call. 'The following day Hutchison told me that because the 'sound of my voice made people feel unsafe' and that people are 'triggered by my voice', I could not cover the cricket for them any more.'
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Usman Khawaja refuses SEN interview after radio station's sacking of journalist
Usman Khawaja refused an interview with Australian sports radio station SEN after the first day's play of the first Test against West Indies in Barbados, four months after the station sacked the journalist Peter Lalor due to his outspoken support of Palestinians. Khawaja too has been vocal in protesting the deaths of tens of thousands of Gazan civilians during Israel's 21-month military assault on the territory, after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 250 hostages on 7 October 2023. In late 2023 Khawaja clashed with cricket's international governing body over his wishes to display messages or symbols of peace on his playing equipment during a Test. The ICC ruled that such displays would be 'political' despite their vagueness and general applicability. After years as part of SEN's cricket commentary team, Lalor's freelance job was cancelled while on a tour of Sri Lanka in February, during a Test in which Khawaja had made his highest career score of 232. SEN supremo Craig Hutchison claimed Lalor's practice of posting pro-Palestinian messages on social media was distressing to Jewish Australians. 'I have friends who are frightened and have heard the fear in their voices during conversations. It is an awful situation. But so is Gaza,' wrote Lalor in a public response after being dismissed. The Test team's opening batter criticised that decision at the time. '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 in his own social media post. 'It has everything to do with justice and human rights.' Typically the stumps interview is done by the team's best performer of the day, meaning that Khawaja had not been nominated during the second Sri Lanka Test or the recent World Test Championship final. SEN is the only Australian live broadcaster in the Caribbean for this series, with ABC radio controversially commentating from screens in home studios to save costs, while Fox Sports uses a locally-produced television feed. This was the first time that Khawaja had been asked to speak to SEN since the sacking, having scored an important 47 during a poor day for Australia's batting. After initially approaching broadcasters Bharat Sundaresan and Adam Collins on the field of play at the direction of team media manager Cole Hitchcock, Khawaja then noticed the SEN branding on the microphone, and raised a hand to the commentators before walking away. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Neither Cricket Australia nor Khawaja offered comment or confirmed the cause of Khawaja's decision. Lalor, who is present on the tour as an independent journalist after decades at The Australian newspaper, said that 'Usman is a man of principle whose support I valued greatly when I was dismissed and whose ongoing support I appreciate'.
ABC News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
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.
Middle East Eye
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Cricket journalist axed over Gaza views on social media, sparking backlash
Australian radio station SEN announced on Tuesday that it had parted ways with Peter Lalor, The Australian newspaper's former chief cricket writer, in the middle of a test series between Australia and Sri Lanka after his commentary on his social media regarding Israel's war on Gaza. Lalor's feed on X includes reshares of news stories about Israel's attacks on Gaza and accusations of genocide against the Israeli government. The radio station's management told Lalor that accusations of antisemitism had been levelled against him, which he objected to. He had been working as a freelance commentator for the station. On Monday night, Lalor released a statement saying that he had received calls from senior management at SEN and was informed the next morning that he would no longer work for them. His dismissal from the radio station has sparked backlash and criticism from cricket fans in Australia and around the world, with many calling on the cricket media to condemn SEN's actions. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters This is deplorable. All of the cricket media should stand with @plalor and condemn SEN's — Karthik Krishnaswamy (@the_kk) February 3, 2025 'I was asked by station boss Craig Hutchison, who was civil, if I didn't care that my retweeting of events in Gaza made Jewish people in Melbourne feel unsafe. I said I didn't want anyone to feel unsafe. Of course, I care. I have friends who are frightened and have heard the fear in their voices during conversations. It is an awful situation, but so is Gaza." 'The following day, Hutchinson told me that because the 'sound of my voice made people feel unsafe' and that people are 'triggered by my voice', I could not cover the cricket for them anymore,' Lalor said in his statement. 'I will continue to have sympathy for the suffering of the Palestinian people just as I will continue to be appalled by acts of antisemitism and terrorism,' he added. Many online objected to the claims that Lalor's social media posts made 'Jewish communities feel unsafe'. This just happened to Peter Lalor - cricket commentator - Jewish people in Melbourne claimed his voice made them feel 'unsafe' & 'triggered' them, so he lost his job. This has to stop. — Dr Sheep Person Podge (@noplaceforsheep) February 3, 2025 Some have called for a direct boycott of the radio station, defending Lalor as being 'a top human being who has always stood up for the oppressed'. Known Peter Lalor for more than 35 years he is a top human being who has always stood up for the oppressed and downtrodden. One of Bendigo's finest hang your head in shame SEN. I will never listen to that station EVER AGAIN. — Paulie Stewart (@PaulieStewart) February 4, 2025 Meanwhile, Australian international test cricketer Usman Khawaja condemned the SEN's decision to drop the journalist. Khawaja has been vocal in his support for Palestinians and wrote on his Instagram account that Lalor 'deserved better'. '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 said in an Instagram story, according to Dawn news. Many online supported Khawaja's decision to speak out for the axed journalist, praising his moral courage. Well done Usman — it takes moral courage to speak up like this: 'Khawaja backs Australian journalist axed over Gaza social media posts' — N. Ram (@nramind) February 4, 2025 Social media users also pointed out that Lalor's sacking is a 'symptom of corporate cancel culture - urged on by the political right' and said journalists should be free to express views beyond their niche areas of reporting. Australia has recently made headlines for its decision to deny entry to Israeli soldiers after they were asked to complete an extensive 13-page form, typically required for military personnel involved in a war. The country has also denied entry to former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked over fears of "incitement".
