The image of a winning team celebrating by spraying champagne all around the place is almost as old as sport itself, and the Australian cricket team were no different after they wrapped up the Ashes 4-0.
But as the team gathered on the podium in Hobart, Usman Khawaja was off to the side.
Khawaja is a Muslim who does not drink alcohol.
The 35-year-old, who played a key role in the fourth Test in Sydney when he made a century in both innings in his first Test in three years, quickly made his escape off the stage to avoid being sprayed.
However, skipper Pat Cummins could be seen telling teammates to put the bottles down and signalling Khawaja to come back to the podium so he could be part of the team celebrations.
Khawaja joined the fray, and the team celebrations began anew.
Cricket fans spotted Cummins’ call and praised the skipper for showing a more inclusive approach to the post-match festivities.
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Before the series started, late last year Khawaja told the ABC about growing up loving cricket but struggling to identify with an Australian team that had a very different background and experience to him.
“I struggled as a young kid to support Australia because I just didn’t see any connection between myself and the Australian cricket team,” he said.
“I felt like they were totally different, white-dominated, the VB-drinking larrikins that I really struggled with in Western Sydney for a long time.”
Cummins’ on-field acumen was rarely tested in his maiden series as captain, with a slightly late declaration in Sydney the sole blemish since he took over from Tim Paine.
But the duties of a captain involve as much man-management as they do tactitcs, and Cummins’ effort to include Khawaja show why he was seen to have the skills for one of Australian sport’s highest honours.
Some eyebrows were raised when Cummins was thrust into the leadership role on the eve of the Ashes, as his appointment broke a longline of batsmen acting as captains.
But Cummins has always had leadership qualities, and his moment with Khawaja shows why he’s the man for the job moving forward.
