Daren Sammy has urged the ICC, and the rest of cricket’s governing bodies, to do their bit in the fight against racism, in the wake of protests over George Floyd’s death in the USA.
Floyd, an African-American, was killed when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The incident has sparked widespread protests in the United States, as well as the rest of the world, with several sports figures joining the protests.
Sammy, the former West Indies all-rounder, has urged cricket’s governing bodies to do their bit. “Right now if the cricket world (is) not standing against the injustice against people of color after seeing that last video of that foot down the next [neck] of my brother you are also part of the problem,” he said on Twitter.
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“@ICC and all the other boards are you guys not seeing what’s happening to ppl [sic] 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 u [sic].
“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 #GeorgeFloyd Can you be part of the change by showing your support. #BlackLivesMatter [sic].”
. @ICC and all the other boards are you guys not seeing what’s happening to ppl 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 u
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) June 2, 2020
Sammy’s call comes on the back of other sports personalities making their voices heard on the issue. In the latest round of the Bundesliga in Germany, Marcus Thuram, the Borussia Mönchengladbach forward, took a knee after scoring, while Jadon Sancho, the Borussia Dortmund winger, celebrated a goal by revealing a shirt under his jersey that said, ‘Justice for George Floyd’.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One racer, condemned his fellow drivers for their silence on the issue.