South African cricketer Quinton De Kock was under the scanner since he opted to withdraw from playing against West Indies in a Super 12 match. It was reported that the South African keeper made this decision after Cricket South Africa (CSA) had issued a statement unanimously agreeing "to issue a directive requiring all Proteas players to adopt a consistent and united stance against racism by 'taking the knee" in support of the Black Lives Matters movement.
Many had criticized Quinton De Kock for not 'taking the knee', but the cricketer has come out and expressed his side of the story. He felt 'what happened on match day could have been avoided' and said that his only problem was with the threatful nature of the directive by CSA. De Kock said, "there was an instruction that we had to follow, with a perceived ‘or else’".
Quinton de Kock said that he never wanted it to become an issue about him and maintained that he is aware about the struggles of the black community.
“I would like to start by saying sorry to my teammates, and the fans back home," De Kock said in a statement.
“I never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue. I understand the importance of standing against racism and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example.
“If me taking a knee helps educate other, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.
“I did not in any way mean to disrespect anyone by not playing against West Indies, especially the West Indian team themselves. Maybe some people don’t understand that we were just hit with this on Tuesday morning, on our way to the game," he added.
De Kock later also said that he comes from a mixed family as his half-sisters are black. “For those who don’t know, I come from a mixed race family. My half-sisters are Coloured and my step mom is Black. For me, Black lives have mattered since I was born. Not just because there was an international movement," he said.
About His Reason For Not 'Taking The Knee'
“Since our chat with the board last night, which was very emotional, I think we all have a better understanding of their intentions as well. I wish this had happened sooner, because what happened on match day could have been avoided," he said.
“I didn’t understand why I had to prove it with a gesture, when I live and learn and love people from all walks of life every day. When you are told what to do, with no discussion, I felt like it takes away the meaning. If I was racist, I could easily have taken the knee and lied, which is wrong and doesn’t build a better society," he added.