Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed that the Proteas will continue to take the knee before matches in the upcoming summer season. The Proteas will face the Netherlands in a three-match ODI series which gets this Friday, 26 November underway.
Mark Boucher’s men will then welcome India for three-Test cricket matches, three ODI matches, and a further four T20’s between December and January.
Cricket South Africa Confirms The Proteas Will Take The Knee Against Netherlands And India
Now, Cricket South Africa has confirmed an agreement in place with the team captains, players, and management for the Proteas to take the knee before their matches. Cricket South Africa announced the news in a media statement released on Wednesday night, saying the meeting with everyone involved took place on Tuesday night.
“Following a meeting between the board, led by the chair of the board and team captains and team management last night it was confirmed that the gesture of taking the knee will continue for the forthcoming season,” reads the statement.
“The board had clarified that for the rest of the season the Proteas should continue to take the knee as a contribution towards the global sports endeavor to demonstrate its commitment to eradicating racism and all forms of discrimination,” added the statement.
CSA board chairperson Lawson Naidoo admitted it was important to engage the players and Proteas captains before making this decision, whilst he also spoke about the importance of the Proteas taking the knee.
“The decision to engage the players on the gesture of taking the knee was not taken lightly and we are delighted that we had the opportunity to engage with the captains and that this has now been accepted as a matter of principle,” said Naidoo.
“The gesture is an important stance in articulating an unequivocal determination against discrimination in sports and in society, and one in which South African sportsmen and women should be taking the lead,” concluded Naidoo.
The latest developments will be considered groundbreaking after the Proteas made the headlines in the recent 2021 T20I World Cup following Quinton de Kock’s refusal to take the knee. Quinton de Kock was subsequently withdrawn from the Proteas team, but he was later brought back after apologizing and explaining his reasons for refusing to take the knee.
Quinton de Kock Refused To Take A Knee In T20I World Cup Match Against Windies But Later Apologized
At the time, the Proteas wicket-keeper and batsman said his refusal stemmed from the fact that Cricket South Africa enforced the decision at the last without proper consultation with the players. Quinton de Kock’s absence from South Africa’s second T20 World Cup match against 2016 champions West Indies was down to his stand on not taking a knee for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Quinton de Kock has apologized to his teammates and fans for the “hurt, confusion, and anger” he caused by refusing to follow a Cricket South Africa directive to take the knee at the T20 World Cup and sitting out the game against West Indies.
South African cricketers have been seemingly split on the taking a knee for BLM movement issue, and before their T20 World Cup opener against Australia, players were seen standing, kneeling, or raising a fist.
Pacer Anrich Nortje and wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen stood with their hands behind their backs even as their teammates used different ways to express their support to the Black Lives Matter movement.