Kagiso Rabada sparked discussion in cricketing fraternity after he confirmed in an online press conference on November 23 that the team coach Mark Boucher has urged the players to not take a knee against England in the upcoming limited overs series.
Taking a knee has been the gesture shown by athletes across the globe to show support with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. West Indies and England players took knee during the bilateral series earlier this year. Both teams also wore black armbands and had the BLM logo on their jersey during the series.
England tour of South Africa will be the revival of International cricket in South Africa after the global shutdown. South African players have been supporting the BLM movement, but they will not take knee in series against England as they want to take action rather than just use gestures to support the movement.
The official statement from Cricket South Africa said, “Over the last six months, the Proteas team has engaged with honesty, empathy, and vulnerability. We have unanimously chosen not to take the knee at the upcoming matches, but to continue to work together in our personal, team and public spaces to dismantle racism.”
The South African Cricket team has decided to wear a black armband in the upcoming limited-overs series against the World Champions, in respect of the national campaign against gender-based violence. The England team has also confirmed they will not be taking a knee in the upcoming series.
The discussion surrounding taking a knee is also present in New Zealand as West Indies are set to tour down under for T-20 and test match series. The head coach of Kiwis said that they will discuss with West Indies team management about making a gesture before games. Meanwhile, Australian all-rounder Pat Cummins confirmed that the Australian team will stand barefooted in a circle at the start of the first ODI against India to support the Black Lives Matter movement.