T20 WC 2021: SLC clarifies Lankan cricket team will not take a knee

The Sri Lanka Cricket board has stayed firm with its decision regarding the players taking a knee. Keeping with the previously issued directive, it expects that the players do not take part in the gesture for their matches of the T20 World Cup as well. The directive was issued ahead of the tour to the West Indies earlier this year.

This initiative of several teams taking a knee has been widespread since last year. Ahead of the matches, the teams have been taking a knee to support the Black Lives Matter Movement. The SLC, however, wants their players to follow the previously issued directive.

It has been a long-standing position of SLC, says official

“It has been a long-standing position of SLC that the players don’t participate in this gesture, and they have honoured that directive to date. We expect that the players will continue honour that even beyond the World Cup,” the SLC official said to the Daily Mirror.

Recently, in their opening fixture of the mega event, England had joined the West Indies in taking a knee. Team India also came forward to take the knee ahead of their match against Pakistan to contribute to the fight against racism. However, this thing came into the limelight more when the South African batter Quinton de Kock pulled out of the match against West Indies over the gesture of taking a knee.

Earlier, CSA had issued a directive making it mandatory for all the Proteas players to take a knee in order to support the BLM movement. However, during the toss of the match between the Proteas and the Kieron Pollard-led side, the news came in that Quinton de Kock had made himself unavailable for selection for the match due to personal reasons. Later it was reported that it was his refusal to take a knee.

The Proteas skipper had come forward to support the keeper-batter’s decision and had earlier said, “Quinton is an adult. He’s a man in his own shoes. We respect his decision. We respect his convictions.”