Australian underperforming opener Usman Khawaja has refused to participate in a post-play interview with SEN Radio in protest over the network’s treatment of veteran cricket journalist Peter Lalor.
Moments after Australia’s players came from the field following the opening day of their first Test against the West Indies in Bridgetown, Khawaja was asked by the team’s media manager Cole Hitchcock if he would do a pre-record interview with SEN commentators Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan on the field at Kensington Oval.
Khawaja, who made 47 runs earlier in the day, told the pair he would not be doing the interview.
Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity as they did not have permission to comment, said Khawaja’s decision related to SEN’s controversial axing of Lalor earlier this year, which the Test star views as unfair.
Lalor, a veteran cricket reporter, was removed from SEN’s coverage midway through Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in February. The decision followed his social media activity around the conflict in Gaza, including reposts of news articles about Israeli airstrikes and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
SEN chief executive Craig Hutchison informed Lalor on the final morning of the Galle Test that his services were no longer required.
At the time, Khawaja publicly backed Lalor in a social media post.
“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 posted on Instagram in February.
