Usman Khawaja supports dropped journalist in SL-Aus commentary row

Australian opener Usman Khawaja has voiced support for cricket writer Peter Lalor after he was dropped from SEN radio’s coverage of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka due to his social media posts about the war in Gaza.

Lalor, a veteran cricket journalist, revealed he was removed from the commentary team during the first Test in Galle. In a message to his Cricket Et Al substack subscribers, he stated, “I figured, at some point, there would be an attempt to take me down, and it has happened.”

He was reportedly told that accusations of antisemitism had been raised against him, which he strongly denied. He was also informed that his retweets were perceived as unbalanced and insensitive, leading to complaints.

Khawaja, who scored a double century in the same match, expressed disbelief over the decision in an Instagram post. He defended Lalor, stating that supporting Gaza was about justice and human rights, not antisemitism or opposition to Jewish communities.

Lalor was informed on the fourth morning of the Test that he would no longer be part of the coverage. He recalled a conversation with SEN boss Craig Hutchison, who asked whether Lalor was concerned that his posts made Jewish people in Melbourne feel unsafe. Lalor responded that he did not want anyone to feel unsafe.

Hutchison later released a statement acknowledging differing perspectives on the impact of Lalor’s social media activity. He emphasized that SEN Cricket aims to be a space where audiences can escape complex and sensitive global issues while respecting community concerns.

Guardian Australia has reached out to SEN radio and Hutchison for further comment.

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