Legendary West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding is unimpressed with the Australian and England cricket teams for their decisions not to kneel during the ongoing series of limited overs. Holding argues that it is important for sports stars to maintain awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement at a time when racial injustice is growing around the world.
Michael Holding criticized Australia captain Aaron Finch for giving a ‘silly’ and ‘flimsy’ excuse why the Men in Yellow would not kneel during the series of limited overs in England. Having lost the T20I series 1-2, Australia will face England in a 3-match ODI series in Manchester starting Friday.
England and the West Indies knelt during the historic 3-game Test series in July to pledge his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. However, since the West Indies returned home, the gesture has also gone with England, Pakistan and Australia not kneeling during their series at the Old Blighty.
Even the Black Lives Matter logo that was part of the West Indies-England series has disappeared from the England cricket team jerseys.
Aaron Finch had said that ‘education is more important than protest’ when explaining Australia’s decision not to kneel in England. The captain had said that he is proud that cricket is a “game for everyone.”
In a video for his YouTube channel, Michael Holding said: “” Education is important, but you can’t do anything else. You have to keep the consciousness going.
“Somebody sees a person on their knees and asks why. It goes on and on. The England football team has kept doing it. All over the world, people are doing it. So why has the cricket team stopped? I cannot accept any flimsy excuse.
“I think people should keep recognizing that things need to change. You can’t do something for a week or two and think, ‘Okay, I’ve done my bit.’ If that’s your attitude, don’t bother doing it.” .
‘Think of something better than that’
Holding, who had turned heads with a emotional documentary On the Black Lives Matter campaign during the series against the West Indies, he said that it is better not to make ‘silly excuses’ if Australia and England no longer want to ‘acknowledge the movement’.
“I don’t care about the politics behind Black Lives Matter. I care about those three words: Black lives matter. It is time for the world to accept that black lives matter and move towards that agreement and realization,” Holding said. .
“When Pakistan and England did not give that signal, the ECB issued an unconvincing statement. I did not hear anything from Pakistan. Now Australia has come here and issued an unconvincing statement from the captain.”
“He said that he and the England captain have spoken. They have decided not to kneel. All he is saying is that he is happy to be part of a sport where no one is prohibited from playing because of their race, gender, ethnicity and religion.” If you don’t want to acknowledge the movement, say so and don’t make silly excuses. I know the excuses and reasons are a bit flimsy. They must come up with something better than that.
“What Aaron Finch’s comments told me is that as long as the sport is multiracial, then everything is fine. So if the apartheid regime in South Africa had allowed multiracial sport but upheld the apartheid laws, everything would have been fine. No I wouldn’t have. “
