Former Australian captain Mark Taylor says sport needs to be careful of how far it encroaches on political or moral issues, in the wake of the Quinton de Kock saga.
The South African last night broke his silence on his decision to withdraw from the match against the West Indies, after the team was instructed to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The 28-year-old said he felt like his rights were taken away from him following the directive from Cricket South Africa (CSA), pointing out that the way he lives his life is more important in showing he’s not a racist, rather than proving it with a pre-match gesture.
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Taylor told Wide World of Sports that that point from de Kock “is right on the money”.
Malcolm Speed, who headed up the Australian Cricket Board (now Cricket Australia) during the latter part of Taylor’s reign as captain, said earlier this week that CSA had overreached by issuing a blanket directive to players.
That’s a view shared by Taylor.
“Offering directives for teams to do anything like this has to be looked at,” he said.
“How many things are players expected to do before the start of a game? We’ve got anthems, in Australia we have Welcome to Country, now we’ve got Black Lives Matter, in rugby union the rights of gay marriage became an issue following Israel Folou’s comments a couple of years ago.
“How many movements do players have to be part of before a game of sport can begin?
“We’ve got to be very careful with this. Players are there to play sport, first and foremost.”
Taylor pointed out CSA’s decision left the players in an awkward position.
“You’re asking the team to take a unified stand on an issue that the team may not be unified on,” he explained.
“The team, if they feel they want to make a unified call, that’s fine, I’ve got no problem with that at all.
“But the idea of directing groups of people to all have the same view on a moral issue, I don’t agree with that at all.
“The idea of getting involved in politics, moral issues, where does it end? That’s the big worry for me.”
De Kock said in his statement the issue should have been resolved at the “camps, sessions and Zoom meetings” held prior to the tournament, rather than on the bus on the way to a match.
He said he’d love nothing more than the chance to play cricket for his country again, and he’s more than happy to take a knee if it helps to educate others.
South Africa plays Sri Lanka on Saturday night at the T20 World Cup, where the issue is sure to be front and centre once again.
Taylor concedes that the events of this week will have some impact on the team’s performance, but the major consequences should be felt by the dysfunctional administration at CSA.
“No doubt it’s been a distraction for the team, but I think in a way it’s probably brought things to a head that should have been dealt with months ago,” he said.
“I have genuine sympathy for Quinton de Kock, to be initially told they’d be making individual gestures about the Black Lives Matter movement, and then to find out on the bus on the way to the ground that you’re directed to do something, I suspect that was the last straw.
“It’s been handled very poorly by those in charge and I feel very sorry for de Kock.”
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