Cape Town – The Proteas will continue taking the knee ahead of cricket games, Cricket South Africa said after a meeting between the board, team captains and management.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, CSA said the board had clarified that for the rest of the season the Proteas should continue to take the knee as a contribution towards the global sports endeavour to demonstrate its commitment to eradicating racism and all forms of discrimination.
“The decision to engage the players on the gesture of taking the knee was not taken lightly and we are delighted that we had the opportunity to engage with the captains and that this has now been accepted as a matter of principle,” said CSA board chairman Lawson Naidoo.
“The gesture is an important stance in articulating an unequivocal determination against discrimination in sports and in society, and one in which South African sportsmen and women should be taking the lead,” he added.
South African cricket was engulfed in controversy at the recent T20 World Cup in UAE recently when Quinton de Kock decided not to play after a CSA directive made kneeling before games compulsory.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was allowed back into the team after issuing an apology and explaining that he took the decision to stand down ahead of game against the West Indies because the decision was announced at the last minute.
IOL Sport