De Kock opens on his take at 'Black Lives Matter' after T20 WC corundum

South Africa's wicketkeeper-batter, Quinton de Kock, was left in a spot when he refused to take a knee during ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He had not complied with Cricket South Africa's directives to show solidarity with the 'Black Lives Matter' movement by taking a knee before the commencement of every game. 

De Kock's stance had drawn criticism from many sections of the cricketing fraternity. As a result, the former South African skipper was unceremoniously left out of a group stage match against the West Indies.

After the controversial incident, Proteas' attacking opener apologised to his teammates and fans for his unwarranted action. 

He had said, "If me taking a knee helps educate others and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so."

De Kock went on to take the knee in the remaining matches of the World Cup. Currently, playing for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian extravaganza, the former Test cricketer has broken his silence on the incident.

The Proteas player believes that every individual has their own set of beliefs. Therefore, he would not have done anything differently during the World Cup. 

"I know how I am. I know I'm not a bad person. I've got nothing to hide. That's why I wasn't scared."

 Speaking to the Times of India, de Kock has taken an indirect jibe against CSA for their compulsive instructions amid an ICC tournament.

"I think the board members, or whoever gave that directive (to take a knee compulsorily), could have done things differently, not just smack dab in the middle of a World Cup the morning before a game. The pressure was thrown onto the players, which was unnecessary. We had a lot of youngsters in the team," commented the 29-year old. 

The opening batter also stressed the role of cricketers as influencers who can spread awareness. He mentioned that the efforts of cricketers who are active on various social media platforms catch the public eye quickly. 

He added, "But then a lot of players also don't like doing things on social media; they like getting out and doing the hard yards behind closed doors… The communities we help, they can see what's going on."