Michael Vaughan feels that Quinton de Kock should not have been “chucked out of the team or demonised as a racist” after refusing to take the knee, saying that he sympathised with the South African batter’s statement earlier today, stressing that “no sportsperson should be told to do what to do when it comes to expressing their personal views”.
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Ahead of their game against West Indies, Cricket South Africa issued a directive saying all members of the squad are required to take the knee ahead of every T20 World Cup game. Soon after, it emerged that de Kock had opted out of the game, with CSA following it up with another statement saying that they had noted de Kock’s personal decision of not taking the knee.
On Thursday, de Kock apologised for his refusal to take the knee, saying he never wanted to make this “a Quinton issue”, and declared he would be participating in the gesture from here on.
De Kock said: “I understand the importance of standing against racism and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example.
“If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.”
Vaughan had earlier tweeted that it’s “down to the individual whether they want to be involved in any movement”, a theme that he elaborated on in his column for The Telegraph.
Surely it’s down to the individual to decide whether he or she wants to be involved in any movement … A Cricket board should request players to do it but if that individual decides they don’t want too it should not stop them playing the game of Cricket … #T20WorldCup #DeKock
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 26, 2021
“If I was still playing cricket, I would take the knee – I believe it’s a powerful gesture which is intended to show solidarity with an important anti-racist principle. But if de Kock chooses not to do it, that should not lead to him being chucked out of the team or demonised as a racist”.
Calling the gesture a “hollow symbol” if the person doesn’t fully believe in it, Vaughan added, “Quinton’s problem now is that he has committed to taking the knee, despite everyone knowing that he doesn’t really believe in it”.
He also went on to say that the CSA board had not handled the situation in a “professional manner”, having “let the situation develop to the extent that they are telling their players on the bus to a crucial World Cup game that they are expected to take the knee?”
Taking the example of the England team, he said that the side has “set the example of how to do it”, lauding the “full and frank discussion between groups”, saying they have “presented a united front and delivered a clear message”.
“Taking the knee is an important gesture, and a powerful expression of anti-racist values. I just think this particular situation with de Kock has been poorly handled”.
