T20 World Cup 2021: "South Africa will welcome Quinton de Kock back with open arms" - Rassie Van der Dussen
South Africa's middle-order batsman Rassie van der Dussen said the team fully supports Quinton de Kock's transition back into the team. Quinton de Kock missed the Proteas' second match in the T20 World Cup against the West Indies after not opting to take the knee. Taking the knee is a symbolic gesture in support of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.
De Kock had been under focus following his decision not to take the knee despite CSA's directive before the game on Tuesday. As a result, he wasn't part of the fixture altogether. Hence, the cricketing fraternity was divided over the southpaw's move before apologizing.
Quinton de Kock statement đź“ť https://t.co/Vtje9yUCO6
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However, Rassie van der Dussen declared that the team has put that episode behind and is ready to welcome him back. Van der Dussen hopes De Kock, a top-quality player, will be ready to deliver as expected. The 32-year-old, as quoted by iol.co.za:
"Quinny is one of the best players in the world. The team will welcome him back with open arms. It is not even a case of him having to ask us. We understood what he did. If he is selected, which I am sure he will be, he will come back like nothing ever happened. Nobody holds any grievances.
'Hopefully, he can be in the right frame of mind to deliver those match-winning performances that he has always had and is so valuable to us as a team. More important is having Quinny on the field, and having our brother and friend, and world-class player back on the team."
In a statement released on Thursday, the 28-year-old explained his decision not to take the knee. However, the gloveman pledged his stand against racism and declared he will take the knee moving forward.
"Quinny is remorseful" - Rassie van der Dussen
Van der Dussen also said the teammates respected his decision, even though the entire episode was chaotic. The right-handed batsman highlighted that the team is a well-knit unit and De Kock is more than welcome. Van der Dussen added:
"Quinny is remorseful, and I can say that in a positive way. Even though he took that decision, everyone understood why he took that decision and we supported him even though the timing wasn’t great the whole day, and it was a bit chaotic to the match, but we all supported him.
Dussen talked about how the South African team is an open environment. He added:
'That speaks volumes for where we are as a team and a management group that we don’t judge and accept and think for themselves and make their own decisions and we respect that. The team is always an open environment. He didn’t even have to explain himself to us, because we accept people for who they are. Our team is a safe space."
Despite the controversy, South Africa managed to beat the West Indies comprehensively. They bounced back with an eight-wicket win over the Caribbeans after losing to Australia in their first game. The Proteas will face Sri Lanka on Saturday in Sharjah and will be boosted by De Kock's return.