Image copyright AFP Image caption Quinton de Kock was attending a game when the incident occurred
South African Test and one-day international wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has turned down an invitation to stand for his country in next year’s Twenty20 World Cup.
He was asked to stand during the opening ceremony in India following South Africa’s hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.
The move was supposed to stand in for team captain Faf du Plessis, who missed the tournament.
But de Kock, 26, was told that standing would be seen as a protest at “the treatment of black cricketers in South Africa”.
In December last year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) cited the length of bowling restrictions imposed on De Kock – by which only six fielders could be in the outfield – for his omission from the one-day international side.
The player, who is eligible to play for Namibia, had been drafted into the squad by coach Ottis Gibson after Ryan McLaren was forced to retire from international cricket following the the death of his grandmother.
The ban, which was imposed last April, has since been lifted for the remainder of the year.
In an interview with Sowetan, de Kock said: “When I was offered the opportunity to join the South African team, I took it, but also thought about if I wanted to accept the invitation to stand, knowing how controversial it was with the team captain.
“Faf was meant to be part of the squad, but he decided not to come to India, and I was asked to step in.”
Dakinda Gabriel, an international bowler with St Lucia on the West Indies, added: “We all have the right to stand against racism wherever we are.
“Quinton is just one of many black South Africans that are being treated badly by the game.
“It is wrong and we must do something about it. Many will say it is unfair and everybody must just stand up and do something about it.”
