Quinton de Kock, South Africa’s wicketkeeper, has withdrawn from the T20 World Cup match against the West Indies after refusing to take the knee. Before the match, Cricket South Africa (CSA) issued a directive requiring all players to perform the gesture.
De Kock, 28, withdrew “for personal reasons” from the toss in Dubai, according to Captain Temba Bavuma.
“Awaiting a further report from team management before deciding on next steps,” the CSA said.
In June, De Kock, who had previously refused to take a knee, said: “What’s my justification? I’m going to keep it to myself. It is solely my personal view.
Carlos Brathwaite, a West Indies all-rounder, said: “Quinton de Kock is someone I know well, and I’ve never gotten a nasty vibe from him. We get along swimmingly, but I’d like to know why he did what he did.
During the limited-overs series against the West Indies in July, De Kock stood with his hands behind his back in a gesture of unity. In November, the CSA announced that players might demonstrate their support for social equality by kneeling, raising a fist, or standing to attention.
Some South African players, but not all, kneeled before the team’s T20 World Cup opener against Australia on Saturday, in which De Kock hit seven runs.
On Tuesday, CSA stated that the squad must take “a united and consistent stand against racism.” Concerns were voiced that team members’ differing postures in favour of the BLM initiative produced an unintentional perception of inequity or lack of support for the initiative. “
“The CSA believes that success will be assured both on and off the field if all South Africans work together to construct a new innings founded on the pillars of inclusion, access, and excellence.”
