"Is taking the knee still as powerful or simply a pre-match ritual now?" - Sky Tshabalala on Quinton de Kock
Was he wrong for refusing to take the knee?
Hashtag 'Quinton De Kock' has been trending for the past 20+ hours on social media platforms. He is a South African cricket player for the national team, Mumbai Indians, and the Titans.
On Tuesday, Quinton de Kock withdrew from the Proteas match against the West Indies at the T20 World Cup after refusing to follow a directive forcing all players to take a knee.
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To be clear, 'taking a knee' means kneeling on the ground, a gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. It has been done by national teams in varying countries voluntarily at international sporting events since the death of George Floyd in the US.
His refusal and withdrawal is a controversial conversation in the country, in cricket and sports news internationally.
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It is a sensitive issue, as Sky mentioned in the above podcast.
It won't fix the social ill that is racism even a little. But rather it raises awareness on the lives that have been lost and most importantly in their context the racism within the organisation.
Last year, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the actions of the eight players who would not take the knee then didn't warrant sanctions from the department or the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
Will the same be done for him following the knee being deemed necessary?
De Kock shared, "I'll keep my reasons to myself, and it is my own personal opinion."
Heinrich Klaasen has replaced De Kock behind the stumps for the match against the West Indies.
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Main Image Courtesy: Samson Phiri Facebook