Without Diversity, Cricket Is Nothing: ICC Stands Against Racism In Wake Of George Floyd's Death

"Racism is not only in football, it's in cricket too!! Even within teams as a Black man I get the end of the stick!!! Black Powerful! Black & Proud!" Gayle said.

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday made its stance very clear on the subject of racism stating that it stands against the inhuman practice of inequality and added that without diversity, the sport in nothing. The apex global cricket body's comments came at the back of widespread anti-racism protest which have triggered of in the United States in the wake of the death of George Floyd. The 'Black Lives Matter' which have seen widespread support from the global community has witnessed leading cricketers and sportsmen from across the world extending their support and solidarity to the cause. Former West Indies captains Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy both expressed their dismay, anger and condemned any form of racism in cricket. "Racism is not only in football, it's in cricket too!! Even within teams as a Black man I get the end of the stick!!! Black Powerful! Black & Proud!" Gayle said. Sammy in the other hand called on the ICC and fellow cricketers to speak up on Floyd's death. "For too long black people have suffered. I'm all the way in St Lucia and I'm frustrated. If you see me as a teammate then you see George Floyd, Can you be part of the change by showing your support. #BlackLivesMatter," Sammy wrote on his Twitter handle. "Without diversity, cricket is nothing. Without diversity, you don't get the full picture," said ICC in their tweet alongwith a video of the moment when England won the 2019 ICC World Cup last year. The England team was known for its diverse mix of players who had their lineage from different nationalites around the world.Cricketers of New Zealand, South African and South Asian origins form bulk of England's first team. The captain Eoin Morgan himself is Irish and had said that the team had Allah with them, as he was told by spinner Adil Rashid. "We had Allah with us as well. I spoke to Adil (Rashid), he said Allah was definitely with us. I said we had the rub of the green," said Morgan in a press conference after the final. Earlier, India batsman Abhinav Mukund and former fast bowler Dodda Ganesh shared their plight of facing racial abuse on the cricket field. "ICC and all the other boards are you guys not seeing what's happening to people like me? Are you not gonna speak against the social injustice against my kind. This is not only about America. This happens everyday #BlackLivesMatter now is not the time to be silent. I wanna hear you."