Johannesburg - Cricket SA's Board of Directors has instructed the Proteas men's team to all 'take the knee' as a sign of respect for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The directive by the Board, following a meeting on Monday night, has taken the responsibility for a gesture out of the hands of the players, who, until Saturday's match against Australia, were in charge of deciding how they would show support for BLM.
In a statement released on Tuesday, CSA said, "concerns were raised that the different postures taken by team members in support of the BLM initiative created an unintended perception of disparity or lack of support for the initiative."
The majority of white players in squad, have chosen to stand, many with their fists raised, while some have stood with their hands behind their back. All the blacks players kneeled.
"After considering all relevant issues, including the position of the players, the Board felt that it was imperative for the team to be seen taking a united and consistent stand against racism, especially given SA’s history," CSA said..
CSA Board Chairperson, Lawson Naidoo said: “A commitment to overcoming racism is the glue that should unite, bind and strengthen us. Race should not be manipulated to amplify our weaknesses. Diversity can and should find expression in many facets of our daily lives, but not when it comes to taking a stand against racism.”
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“South Africans were recently joined by people across the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of our revered Archbishop Desmond Tutu. What better tribute from the Proteas to an icon of the struggle for freedom in South Africa than to demonstrate we are working to fulfil his vision of a united South Africa,” Naidoo added.
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