De Kock withdraws over refusal to ‘take a knee’
On the verge of the ICC T20 World Cup clash between the
Proteas and West Indies on Tuesday, wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock withdrew from
the side citing personal reasons.
It has come to light that the 28-year-old made himself unavailable for selection due to Cricket South Africa’s mandate that all players take the knee in solidarity against racism.
In a statement released during the match, CSA believe that their mandate is in place to show a unified stance against racism.
"After considering all relevant issues, including the freedom of choice of players, the Board had made it clear it was imperative for the team to be seen taking a stand against racism, especially given SA’s history,” the statement said.
“This is also the global gesture against racism that has been adopted by sportspeople across sporting codes because they recognise the power of sport to bring people together.
“The Board’s view was that while diversity can and should find expression in many facets of daily lives, this did not apply when it came to taking a stand against racism.
“The Board will await a further report from team management before deciding on the next steps. All players are expected to follow this directive for the remaining games of the World Cup.”
The Proteas side came under fire after their first match of the competition against Australia when a portion of the squad did not ‘take the knee’.
