‘I am not racist,’ said Quinton de Kock, who is fit to play for South Africa despite taking the knee
Quinton de Kock has apologised to his teammates and fans for causing “pain, misunderstanding, and fury” by refusing to heed a CSA mandate and sitting out the T20 World Cup match against the West Indies.
De Kock said in a statement posted Thursday morning that he didn’t take the knee on Tuesday because he felt “like my rights were taken away” when the CSA board instructed him “what we had to do in the way that we were told.” He now has a “better understanding of their goals” after a “emotional” conversation between the board and the players last night, and “would love nothing more than to play cricket for my country again.”
De Kock has so made himself eligible for selection for the remainder of the tournament, which begins on Saturday for South Africa against Sri Lanka.
He acknowledged that he has dominated the cricket conversation in the last 48 hours, despite the fact that he claims it was unintentional. “I never wanted to make this about Quinton,” de Kock said in a statement. “I recognise the necessity of speaking out against racism, as well as our players’ responsibility to lead by example. I am more than willing to take a knee if it aids in the education of others and improves the lives of others.”
De Kock was the only player in the South African squad who had previously chosen not to make any gesture in support of antiracism. He explained that he “didn’t understand why I had to prove it (his feelings on antiracism) with a gesture, when I live and learn and love people from all walks of life every day,” and that he “didn’t understand why I had to prove it (his feelings on antiracism) with a gesture, when I live and learn and love
De Kock used his family to discuss his personal path in learning the difficulties of race in South Africa. “Until today, I had been silent on this crucial topic. But I feel compelled to provide some context. I come from a mixed-race family, for those who don’t know. My half-sisters are African-American, and my stepmother is black. Since I was born, Black lives have been important to me. It wasn’t just because there was a global movement. Individual rights and equality are more vital than any individual. I was trained to believe that we all had rights, and that these rights are significant.”
As a result, de Kock felt his own rights were being trampled by the CSA board, despite the fact that he recognises his role as a role model. “I’m well aware that I have a role to play in setting a good example. We had previously been told that we had the option to do whatever we pleased “he stated “I felt like it took away the meaning when you were instructed what to do without any discussion. If I had been racist, I could have simply taken the knee and lied, which is unethical and does not contribute to a better society.”
South Africa qualified for the T20 World Cup and toured the West Indies, where players were given the option of kneeling, raising a fist, or standing to attention. However, after seeing photographs of the teams’ various postures during their opening game against Australia, the CSA board decided to step in and make it essential for the entire team to take a knee. The South African squad was told of the board’s decision five hours before the game, and de Kock decided not to comply during the bus ride from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
“I won’t lie, I was taken aback when we were told on the way to a crucial match that there was an instruction we needed to follow, with an implied “or else.” “I don’t believe I was the only one,” de Kock said in a statement. “There were camps. We had meetings. We used Zoom for our meetings. We’re all on the same page. And that brings us to the end. I believe it would have been better for everyone if we had figured this out before the event began. We might have then concentrated on our task, which was to win cricket matches for our country.”
