In a surprising turn of events, former South African skipper Quinton de Kock has made himself unavailable for selection. Cricket South Africa (CSA) cited wicketkeeper-batter’s “personal reasons” as the reason behind his shocking absence from the team against crucial clash against West Indies.
Interestingly, just ahead of South Africa’s second clash of Super 12 stage, CSA had said in a statement that it was “imperative for the team to be seen taking a united and consistent stand against racism, especially given South Africa’s history.”
Earlier in South Africa’s T20 World Cup opener against Australia, De Kock was the only player who did not take a knee or raise his fit to support the Black Lives Movement.
“After considering all relevant issues, including the position of the players, the Board felt that it was imperative for the team to be seen taking a united and consistent stand against racism, especially given SA’s history,” CSA added in their media release.
On October 24, Indian players also took a knee and raised their fists while Pakistan players placed their hands on their heart in support of the BLM movement.
The experienced campaigner has been replaced by Reeza Hendricks at the top. Hendricks has played 36 T20Is and scored 993 runs at an average of 28.37 including seven half-centuries.
