Recently, South African cricket has held a series of open hearings after Black players who were previously on the team claimed they were marginalized, and sometimes victims of direct racism, even years after apartheid ended in 1994. However, South Africa’s history of racism under apartheid seeped into all areas of society - only whites were allowed to play for sports teams - and cricket, like many areas, has struggled to emerge fully from that shadow. It is a multiracial squad, with Black players, white players, players of Asian descent and of mixed-race heritage. The World Cup team is led by Temba Bavuma, the country’s first Black cricket captain. The different stances from players had previously provoked criticism from some quarters in South Africa, where issues of racism are constantly in the headlines because of the country’s history of forced segregation under the former apartheid regime. “Diversity can and should find expression in many facets of our daily lives, but not when it comes to taking a stand against racism,” said CSA chairman Lawson Naidoo in defense of the new policy, which seemingly now means players must take a knee if they want to play.
De Kock, fast bowler Anrich Nortje and batsman Heinrich Klaasen, who are all white, have stood with their hands by their side before recent matches.Īhead of the West Indies game, Klaasen and Nortje took a knee, as did every other South African player, in response to the directive. Some members of South Africa’s team take a knee with their fists raised. There was speculation that de Kock, a former national team captain, would return home from the World Cup.ĬSA said it decided to force players to take a knee after “concerns were raised” about the “different postures“ taken ahead of warmup matches and the team’s first World Cup game against Australia on Saturday.
In a second statement responding to de Kock’s withdrawal from Tuesday’s game, CSA said it noted the wicketkeeper-batsman’s “personal decision” not to take a knee and would decide on its next course of action after a report from team management. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - Quinton de Kock refused to play in a T20 World Cup game against the West Indies on Tuesday in protest after Cricket South Africa ordered its players to take a knee before matches in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.ĬSA issued a statement about an hour before the start of the match in Dubai saying it had ordered players to make the anti-racism gesture ahead of their remaining games at the tournament.
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