The veteran South African wicket-keeper batter, Quinton de Kock has finally clarified his side of the story for refusing to take the knee and he also apologized to his team-mates and fans for the “hurt, confusion, and anger” he caused by opting not to feature in out South Africa’s T20 World Cup 2021 match against West Indies as he refused to follow a CSA directive to take the knee before each match.
After an “emotional” conversation with the Cricket South Africa (CSA) board last night, Quinton de Kock said has a “better understanding of their intentions” and “will love nothing more than to play cricket for my country again.” In his apologetic post on Instagram, Quinton wrote: “I would like to start by saying sorry to my teammates, and the fans back home. I never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue.”
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He further explained, “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. I did not, in any way, mean to disrespect anyone by not playing against West Indies, especially the West Indian team themselves.”
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In his post, Quinton de Kock also wrote: ” Maybe some people don’t understand that we were just hit with this on Tuesday morning, on the way to a game. I am deeply sorry for all the hurt, confusion and anger that I have caused I was quiet on this very important issue until now. But I feel I have to explain myself a little bit. For those who don’t know, I come from a mixed race family. My half-sisters are Coloured and my stepmom is Black.”
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He concluded, “For me, Black lives have mattered since I was born. Not just because there was an international movement. The rights and equality of all people is more important than any individual. I was raised to understand that we all have rights, and they are important.”
