Hours after opener Quinton de Kock issued an apology and clarified his stance over his stand over the 'taking the knee' saga, Cricket South Africa issued a statement welcoming the development following a meeting with South African players and also recognised de Kock’s statement.
The CSA on Thursday, 28 October, said that the Proteas confirmed they will 'align and unify in taking the knee' in the fight against racism in the remaining phase of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The CSA reiterated its stance over the issue of racism and said that its commitment to fight against it is a 'moral', not a 'political' issue. However, it also conceded a breathing space to Quinton de Kock by accepting that the directive of mandating taking the knee starting the game against West Indies was 'unsettling' for players.
“Cricket South Africa welcomes all of these developments. They confirm Cricket South Africa’s commitment to non-racism. Taking a united stance against racism is a moral issue, not a political issue. The CSA Board regrets that the timing of its directive earlier this week may have been unsettling for the players in the lead-up to the match against the West Indies,” CSA said.
“The CSA is fully supportive of the Protea Men’s team and its captain Temba Bavuma and looks forward to continued successes by the Proteas at the World Cup.”
Earlier today, de Kock had issued an apology to his fans, teammates and the CSA for making it look like an insincere attempt in the fight against racism. He made his stance public and said that he will take the knee going forward.
However, neither the CSA nor de Kock himself has divulged details on the opener’s availability for the Proteas in the remaining games of the tournament.