The International Cricket Council (ICC) is under fire online for what critics are calling a 'staggering hypocrisy' — earlier banning Australia’s Usman Khawaja from displaying a peace symbol on his bat, while its chairman Jay Shah publicly supported Indian armed forces during the recent Pakistan-India conflict.
Critics argue the body has been inconsistent after Australian batter Usman Khawaja was blocked from displaying a dove symbol late in 2023 and the phrase “All lives are equal” in support of peace in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Jay Shah, the ICC Chairman and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), publicly shared support for the Indian military — raising many to question ICC’s policy enforcement.
Critics like Malcolm Conn were among the first to criticise the disparity. Conn posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, questioning ICC's stance on both issues, whilst citing Times of India.
So @Uz_Khawaja is banned by the @ICC from putting a dove on his bat supporting peace in the Middle East but @ICC chairman Jay Shah, son of India’s home affairs minister, can openly support the Indian military during conflict. Staggering hypocrisy!!! https://t.co/UDnniiNiwf
— Malcolm Conn (@malcolmconn) May 16, 2025
The post triggered widespread debate about Shah's role in the ICC and his wider influence on world cricket.
When questioned about Shah’s dual roles, Conn responded, “Had he resigned as ICC chief?”
Given that world cricket is now a subsidiary of the Indian government through the son of the Home Minister being chairman of the @ICC (Jay Shah) it will always be India first. Sad irony the @ICC chairman is willing to compromise cricket’s showpiece event — https://t.co/XFEcheNRR0
— Malcolm Conn (@malcolmconn) May 15, 2025
Critics have pointed out that Khawaja’s peaceful message was apolitical in comparison to military endorsements, prompting further scrutiny of the ICC’s approach.
How can Jay Shah, the ICC Chairman who stopped Usman Khawaja for supporting Palestine 🇵🇸, Pays tribute to Indian 🇮🇳 Armed Forces?
— ٰImran Siddique (@imransiddique89) May 16, 2025
Pure Hypocrisy pic.twitter.com/w8fTNKUSrp
While the ICC maintains a strict policy against political messaging on the field, observers argue the rules appear selectively enforced.
@ICC comment on this? Sports authorities must stay neutral and irrelevant from such racism. This is not a platform of an individual to act/support their country’s armed forces on personal level and sabotage the shared stage of sports under nationalism.
— Aqeel Sadiq (@Aqeelhany) May 16, 2025
Jay Shah’s position as the son of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and his high-profile involvement in both Indian cricket and the ICC has only intensified the scrutiny.
Who is going to stop Jay Shah? He is chairman of ICC and have special inclination towards India.
— USMAN|TheExplicitAnalyst| (@engrmub) May 16, 2025
Having Jay Shah on this position would always cause conflict of interest for many stakeholders.
It is pertinent that all boards including #PakistanCricket board should demand his…
Many are now calling on the ICC to clarify its standards and apply them uniformly.
So far, the ICC has not publicly addressed the controversy.
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