West Indies nice Michael Holding has criticised England and Australia for opting to not take a knee in assist of the marketing campaign to struggle racial injustice, accusing them of creating “lame” excuses. Holding, who performed within the nice West Indian sides of the 1970s and 1980s, in July recalled ugly incidents he skilled as a younger cricketer on his visits to Australia and England. The previous paceman spoke about how significant change was wanted following the demise of George Floyd in police custody in america, which sparked a wave of protests throughout the globe.
England and West Indies cricketers took a knee at the beginning of every of their three Checks in July.
The follow was repeated throughout England’s one-day worldwide collection towards Eire however not in subsequent collection towards Pakistan and Australia.
England and Australia are enjoying one another in a three-match ODI collection beginning at Outdated Trafford on Friday.
“I am slightly bit disenchanted that for the reason that England-Eire collection, after they did take a knee, I have never seen any of the groups take a knee,” Holding mentioned on his YouTube channel.
“Now that the West Indies group has gone residence, that does not imply that you just nonetheless should not be respecting the message and precisely what it stands for.”
Holding accused the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Australia captain Aaron Finch of creating “lame” statements over ending the follow at a time when many different sports activities groups stay dedicated to it.
Finch mentioned after elevating the matter with England skipper Eoin Morgan, his group wouldn’t take the knee, including that “the schooling round it’s extra vital than the protest”.
However Holding mentioned: “So for Pakistan and England to not then take that sign — as a result of you aren’t doing something aside from taking place on one knee — you aren’t chanting something, you aren’t saying something, all you’re doing is making a sign to maintain the notice going.
“Neither group did it and the ECB got here out with a reasonably lame assertion, so far as I’m involved.”
The ECB, in response to Holding’s feedback, mentioned many groups, each domestically and internationally, had taken the knee.
Promoted
“Our refreshed inclusion and variety technique, printed at the beginning of the West Indies collection, commits to a number of complete initiatives that target eliminating discrimination from all areas of cricket,” it mentioned.
“England’s males’s and girls’s gamers all stay dedicated to utilizing their attain and affect to maintain selling inclusion and variety in perpetuity, for the betterment of cricket and sport.”
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