Australian men's team to take the knee in the first Test against West Indies
The Australian men's team will take the knee for the first time on home soil when they lock horns with the West Indies in the first Test next week.
The two sides will also take part in the Barefoot Circle, an Australian cricket ceremony conducted before every series to show respect to the First Nations people of the country.
The movement against racism became rampant when an African-American, George Floyd, died in Minnesota in May 2020 after a police officer murdered him during his arrest.
Since then, cricketers worldwide have taken the knee at different stages to protest against racial discrimination.
4:42 seconds of Michael Holding being unbelievably powerful 💪https://t.co/zOvgx8y1Ye
An Australian team spokesperson, as quoted by The Age, said:
"We’ve consulted with the West Indies team, who confirmed they will be taking a knee. As we’ve done in the West Indies and during the recent warm-up games we will support the West Indies team and take a knee alongside them."
Former West Indies great Michael Holding also welcomed the move by the Aussie team.
The Jamaican also condemned those who were not in favor of mixing politics with sports and used South Africa's exile as an example.
"Extremely proud, extremely happy. To those who talk about not mixing sport and politics, why did they not go and play in South Africa during apartheid? They use that as a matter of convenience: don’t mix sport and politics. Then why did South Africa get banned from international sport during apartheid? They need to shut up."
Holding also slammed the Australian team for not taking the knee during their tour of England in 2020.
However, Aaron Finch and Co. did so when they visited the Caribbean for a limited-overs series in 2021 and in the UAE during the T20 World Cup.
Australia and West Indies to play for the Frank Worrell Trophy
Meanwhile, the two sides will play a couple of Tests for the Frank Worrell Trophy, starting next week.
Introduced in 1960, Australia have been its holders since the 1994-95 series. The Caribbeans last won a Test on Australian soil in 1997.
The series will be crucial for Pat Cummins and Co., given the World Test Championship (WTC).
While the tourists might be out of the race, the hosts are at the top of the table with a shot at a spot in the final.