Australia batter Khawaja reprimanded by ICC over black armband to support Palestinians in Gaza
Sydney (PTI): Australia batter Usman Khawaja has been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council for wearing a black armband in support of Palestinians in Gaza during the first cricket test against Pakistan.
ICC regulations prevent cricketers from displaying messages of political, religious or racial causes during international matches.
Khawaja was born in Pakistan and is the first Muslim to play test cricket for Australia.
An ICC spokesperson confirmed the charge in breach of the clothing and equipment regulations to Australian media.
"Usman displayed a personal message (armband) during the first test match against Pakistan without seeking the prior approval of Cricket Australia and the ICC to display it, as required in the regulations for personal messages," it said. "This is a breach under the category of an 'other breach' and the sanction for a first offense is a reprimand."
The charge means Khawaja can accept a warning and continue to play. However, he faces additional sanctions if he wears the armband again in the second test against Pakistan beginning next Tuesday in Melbourne.
On Friday during training at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Khawaja said the black armband was for a "personal bereavement." The Australian opener said he will contest the charge but will not wear the armband during the Melbourne test.
"I respect what the ICC (says) and the rules and regulations they have," Khawaja said. "I will be asking them and contesting they make it fair and equitable for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That consistency hasn't been done yet."
The 37-year-old Khawaja had worn shoes with the slogans "freedom is a human right" and "all lives are equal" at training in the days before the first test in Perth, with the writing in red, green and black - the colors of the Palestinian flag.
On Friday, Khawaja received support from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said the "all lives are equal" message was uncontroversial and not intended as a political statement.
"I think Usman Khawaja is a great Australian cricketer and that the position that he put forward is . . . pretty uncontroversial, one that 'all lives are equal' is a sentiment that I think is uncontroversial," Albanese said. "Usman Khawaja made his position clear, which is he didn't see it as a political statement."
Australia won the first test by 360 runs inside four days. The third test is scheduled to begin Jan. 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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Noida International Airport appoints Nitu Samra as interim CEO
New Delhi (PTI): Noida International Airport on Friday announced the appointment of its Chief Financial Officer Nitu Samra as the interim Chief Executive Officer after authorities denied permission for foreign national Christoph Schnellmann to be at the helm.
"This change follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national," NIA said in a statement.
Samra will replace Schnellmann, a Swiss national who has led Noida International Airport (NIA) as the CEO since August 2020.
The regulatory issue related to the requirement of having an Indian national as CEO has been delaying the start of commercial operations of the airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
Schnellmann will join the airport's Board of Directors as Executive Vice Chairman. In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations, the statement said.
With immediate effect, NIA said Samra has been appointed as the CEO on an interim basis until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process.
Samra has been serving as the CFO since October 2021 and was closely involved in the airport’s development journey, overseeing financial stewardship, governance, and strategic planning during a key phase of the project, the statement added.
NIA will be operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, under a public-private partnership.
Originally scheduled to commence passenger services in September 2024, NIA is being developed in four phases, along with a dedicated cargo terminal. It received an aerodrome license from the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in March.
YIAPL Chairman Daniel Bircher said that since the inauguration of the airport by the Prime Minister, the goal was to enable the start of operations as early as possible.
"This management change brings the airport into compliance with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security requirements while maintaining continuity in the airport’s leadership team. The newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture," he said.
On March 28, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said commercial flight operations from the airport would start in the next 45 to 60 days.
Among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, NIA will initially have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum.
Once fully developed, the airport will have a total passenger handling capacity of 70 million.
The first phase of NIA has been developed at an investment of around Rs 11,200 crore. 'DXN' is the code for the airport.
The airport features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft, along with modern navigation systems, including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and advanced airfield lighting.
The peak handling capacity in the first phase will be 30 flights per hour.
In the first phase, there will be 28 aircraft stands, and the projected cargo capacity is around 2.5 lakh tonnes.
Terminal 1 of the airport is spread across 1,37,985 square metres with 48 check-in counters. Over 40 acres of land have been earmarked for developing MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facilities at the airport.
