South African cricketer Quinton de Kock has finally issued a statement after he was out of the team versus West Indies for refusing to take the knee. In his statement, Quinton de Kock reiterated that he is not a racist and has siblings who are “coloured”.
De Kock said that he did not mean to disrespect anyone by not playing the match versus West Indies. He also said that he did not mean to turn it into a ‘de Kock issue’. The wicket-keeper said that the directive to take the knee was issued in the morning, when they were on their way to the match.
“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,” de Kock said.
He stated further, “The rights and equality of all people is more important than any individual. I was raised to understand that we all have rights, and they are important. I felt like my rights were taken away when I was told what we had to do in the way that we were told.”
De Kock said that there has been a discussion with the Board over the matter, which he said he wished could have happened sooner. He also said that they were told earlier they had the choice to do what they felt like doing at the time.
He continued, “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. It I was racist, I could easily have taken the knee and lied, which is wrong and doesn’t build a better society.”
“I’ve been called a lot of things as a cricketer. Doff. Stupid. Selfish. Immature. But those didn’t hurt. Being called a racist because of a misunderstanding hurts me deeply. It hurts my family. It hurts my pregnant wife. I am not a racist. In my heart of hearts, I know that. And I think those who know me know that,” de Kock stated.
The wicket-keeper also admitted that he was shocked when the directive to take the knee was issued.
He said, “I think it would of been better for everyone concerned if we had sorted this out before the tournament started. Then we could have focused on our job, to win cricket matches for our country. There always seems to be a drama when we go to World Cups. That isn’t fair.”
De Kock also complimented Temba Bavuma, the captain of the South African team. He said that he will love to play for his country again.
Earlier, Bavuma has backed Quinton de Kock fully in the post match conference. “Quinton is an adult. He’s a man in his own shoes. We respect his decision. We respect his convictions,” he had said.
Bavuma had stated, “As far as we stand, Quinton is still one of the players. He’s still one of the boys, so whatever support that he needs, whatever shoulder that he requires from his teammates, we’ll be there for him.”
De Kock’s decision to withdraw from the match over the knee directive had left former cricketers and social media divided. While former England captain Michael Vaughan said it should be an individual choice, commentators Pommy Mbangwa and Darren Sammy expressed disappointment over the same.
