A pitch invader entered the ground during the highly-anticipated World Cup 2023 final between the hosts India and Australia in order to protest against the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which happened during the match.
The ongoing Israeli offensive in the besieged Gaza Strip has led to the death of more than 12,300 Palestinians, of whom 5,000 were children, who have been martyred as a result. Because of the Israeli blockade and bombardment of the beleaguered territory, its 2.2 million residents are experiencing a worsening situation.
The United Nations, the World Health Organization and others have called for peace to be established in the Gaza Strip in the wake of the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, as several humanitarian organisations have requested a ceasefire.
In addition to wearing a shirt with the slogan “stop bombing Palestine” on the front and “Free Palestine” on the back, the pitch invader also wore a mask made out of the Palestinian flag on his face as he attempted to hug India’s star batter Virat Kohli.
After the intruder had been escorted out of the ground by the security personnel, the situation was resolved.
During the course of the match, the pitch invader responded to questions from the Indian media by revealing that he is an Australian citizen and he was interested in meeting Kohli.
When asked why he wore a pro-Palestine shirt, the intruder replied that he was protesting against the ongoing conflict in Palestine, identifying himself as “Wayne Johnson” in response to a question asking him why he wore a pro-Palestine shirt in the first place.
ESPNCricinfo reported quoting Indian media that Johnson was arrested then taken to the Chand Kheda Police Station, where he was being held in custody.
Millions of people across the world have held protests in support of the Palestinian people in response to the incident which occurred at the same time.
The wicketkeeper mohammad Rizwan had earlier in the tournament dedicated his century – against Sri Lanka – to the Gazan people who were being victimized by the attacks by Israel which are taking place indiscriminately.
“This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza, who have been suffering for so long. Rizwan wrote on X, previously known as Twitter, that he was happy to contribute to the win.
Vineet Jindal, an Indian lawyer, took issue with Rizwan’s gesture, accusing him of violating the spirit of the game and filed a complaint against him with the International Cricket Council (ICC), calling the action violative of the “spirit of the game”.
Several other cricketers have also expressed their support for the Palestinian cause, including Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, and leg-spinner Usama Mir, who is an Australian.
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