New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday said that it stands against racism in the wake of the widespread anti-racism protests in the USA in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
“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 diversity with players of New Zealand, South African and South Asian origins making the bulk of the 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 opened up to facing racial jibes on the cricket field. Former West Indies captains Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy both spoke up against 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.
“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.”
