South African player Quinton Decock refuses to bow to his knees and apologize

David Charlesworth

Before the T20 World Cup match between South Africa and the West Indies, Quinton De Kock changed his mind after apologizing for refusing to do so.

Two days after his dramatic postponement from the game, De Cock issued a lengthy statement explaining why he rejected an instruction from the South African cricket team that all players must participate in an anti-racist posture.

De Cock revealed that race-related matters are close to his heart because some of his family members are not white, but he feels that his rights have been violated by CSA, and its order was only revealed to him on the morning of the game.

“I apologize for all the hurt, confusion and anger that I caused,” he said. “If my kneeling helps educate others and make their lives better, I would be happy to do so.

“In any case, I don’t play against the West Indies, especially the West Indies itself. This is not meant to disrespect anyone. Maybe some people don’t understand that we were hit by this problem only on Tuesday morning.

“For those who don’t know, I come from a mixed-race family. For me, the life of black people has been important since I was born-not just because of an international movement.

“The rights and equality of all people are more important than any individual. From a young age, I have understood that we all have rights, and these rights are very important.

“When I was told that we had to do it the way we were told, I felt that my rights were taken away.”

De Cock’s absence in Dubai was initially blamed on “personal reasons”, and a CSA statement later confirmed that his instructions were ignored by the goalkeeper batsman, which overshadowed Proteas’ eight-goal victory.

South Africa’s first black captain, Temba Bavuma, revealed after the game that he and the team were “surprised and shocked by the news” but added, “Quinton is an adult. He is a person wearing his own shoes. We respect his decision. .”

Although some of his teammates knelt or raised their fists before the opener of Saturday’s game against Australia, De Cock did not have either. When Proteas lost five wickets, he only contributed seven with bats.

CSA stated before the game against Windies that all South African players must kneel before the game. De Cock had a clear meeting with the board afterwards.

“I think we also have a better understanding of their intentions. I hope this will happen sooner, because what happened on match day could have been avoided,” De Cock said.

De Cock previously refused to participate in this gesture, and said in June: “This is my personal opinion.” But the strong opposition in recent days prompted him to clarify his position.

“When I live, study and love people from all walks of life every day, I don’t understand why I have to use gestures to prove this,” he said. “When you were told what to do, there was no discussion. I think it loses its meaning.

“If I were a racist, it would be easy for me to lie on my knees. This is wrong and will not build a better society.

“I am called a cricket player by many people. But none of this hurts. Being called a racist because of a misunderstanding hurts me deeply. It hurts my family. It hurts my pregnant wife.

“I am not a racist. Deep down in my heart, I know this. And I think everyone who knows me knows this.”

Rumor has it that De Cock, a former Proteas captain, has participated in 53 tests, 124 single-day training and 58 T20 matches, and has been rated as one of the best players in his country. Fly home.

South Africa quickly rejected this speculation, and De Cock said in the closing statement that he hoped to be accepted by the team before the next game against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

“I just want to thank my teammates for their support, especially my captain Temba,” De Cock added. “People may not know him, but he is an excellent leader.

“If he and the team and South Africa have me, I just want to play cricket for my country again.”

Cricket South Africa said in a statement that its chairman of the board and two directors met with the Proteas team and management on Wednesday night to discuss knee instructions, and the team agreed to unify the knees for the remaining T20 World Cup matches. The CSA welcomed De Cock’s apology and his promise to move his knees forward.

The statement read: “South African cricket welcomes all these developments. They confirm the South African cricket team’s commitment to non-racism. Taking a unified stand on racism is a moral issue, not a political issue.

“The CSA board regrets that the timing of its instructions earlier this week may have made players feel uneasy before the game against the West Indies.

“CSA fully supports the Protea men’s team and its captain, Temba Bavuma, and looks forward to Proteas’ continued success in the World Cup.”