ICC cannot ban Moeen from airing views

The International Cricket Council's decision to ban England all-rounder Moeen Ali from wearing wristbands inscribed with "Save Gaza" and "Free Palestine" have come across to many as a very petty act. Ali wore the wristbands while batting on the second day of the third Test against India and the ICC said its Equipment and Clothing Regulations "do not permit the display of messages that relate to political, religious or racial activities" during an international match.

Displays of a political nature in the sports arena can result in strong reactions. Think back to the "Black Power" salute by African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics to protest racial discrimination.

Their action was loudly condemned and the International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage ensured that both the men were expelled from the games. But in recent years, some sportspersons have said that Smith and Carlos were embodiments of Olympic idealism.

In the case of Moeen Ali, he was merely taking up an issue that has dominated the newspaper headlines, live television coverage and the social media. At a time when thousands around the world are sharing very disturbing images of the death and devastation in the Gaza Strip, Ali chose to raise the issue in a very low-key manner and his protest did not bank on the bloody images of dead children that have become commonplace on forums like Twitter. The wristbands would probably have gone unnoticed if press photographers had not zoomed in on them.

The Match Referee has said that Ali is free to express his views on causes such as Gaza "away from the cricket field". But can sports really be separated from issues that affect sportspersons? Or are bodies like the ICC happy only when sportspersons display logos of major corporations that keep them rolling in the cash?