T20 World Cup 2021: "It seems Quinton de Kock is very active in being pro-Black Lives Matter" - Adam Gilchrist weighs in on De Kock's stand
Former Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist believes Quinton de Kock's decision not to take a knee was not on account of him not supporting people of colour.
Incidentally, De Kock opted out of the game against West Indies after Cricket South Africa's (CSA) directives made it compulsory for team members to take a knee ahead of the game.
While experts have come down hard on the Proteas wicketkeeper-batter, Gilchrist believes Quinton de Kock made the decision in the belief that the gesture was forced on the cricketers.
According to reports, Quinton de Kock was dropped from the side against West Indies because he didn’t want to take a knee in support of the BLM movement 😳
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#SouthAfrica #WestIndies #SAvWI #T20WorldCup https://t.co/9kwMtVnOkL
Speaking to SEN Radio, Adam Gilchrist said:
"It seems Quinton de Kock is very active in being pro-Black Lives Matter, and supporting people of colour within that country. I think the gesture, if it's going to help people move forward and heal, and create a stronger future, is probably worth doing.
"For Quinton, it's about being told he has to do something when he doesn't necessarily feel he needs to do it, that it's become a bit tokenistic."
For the unknown, Quinton de Kock has categorically refused to take a knee ever since the campaign began.
When asked about the same earlier this year during a Test series against West Indies, the 28-year-old declined the question, saying it was his personal choice.
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Pommie Mbangwa slams Quinton de Kock for his decision
While De Kock has received support from certain sections, many former cricketers were taken aback by his decision. Cricketer-turned-commentator Pommie Mbangwa, while speaking on air, didn't hold back from expressing his thoughts.
He said:
"Excuse me for being political because some will say it is being political but I cannot shed my skin. I hope, I hope that the discussion at the very least can be about how to be united, about something that everybody agrees on. This is also in the hope that there is an agreement in that regard."
There has been no official communication yet on Quinton de Kock's participation in the rest of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
I fear we haven't heard the last of the de Kock issue. I won't be surprised if we don't see him in a Protea shirt again.
South Africa, who returned to winning ways by beating West Indies, will play against Sri Lanka next on Saturday in Sharjah.