South Africa’s Quinton De Kock Refuses To ‘Bend The Knee’ For BLM Movement

Merely a day after India’s infamous ‘bending the knee’ stunt during their opening encounter against Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup, South Africa’s leading wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton De Kock refused to repeat the stunt and thus withdrew from the game against West Indies.

De Kock’s decision came after Cricket South Africa’s directive, where players were required to bend the knee before all their games.

The decision by the CSA, announced yesterday (25 October), further ignites the tensions that have prevailed since last year. On 25 November, 2020, a statement was released that stated that the team had given itself three options to showcase their support for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

They would either kneel, raise a fist, or stand to attention. While the rest of the team members were seen following one of the gestures, De Kock had opted to stand with his hands behind his back, thus choosing to not be a part of the directive.

De Kock has not given any clear explanation for his stance. During an online press conference earlier this year, during a series against the West Indies, he stated that it was a personal opinion, and that while it was a team decision, no one was forced to do anything.

However, the board was of the opinion that considering the relevant issues including the country’s political history, it was imperative for the team to be taking a united and consistent stand against racism.

The decision was also influenced by other teams choosing to adopt a similar stance for the BLM.

Interestingly, Hashim Amla, in the past, refused to have a sponsor logo on his team jersey because it represented a liquor brand. He cited religion and personal choice for his decision, and thus, his jersey was always without the brand logo.

Quinton De Kock, however, shall not enjoy the same benefit of personal choice.