South African star Quinton de Kock has apologised for refusing to take the knee in his team’s Twenty20 World Cup match and said he would be “happy” to do it.
“I would like to start by saying sorry to my teammates, and the fans back home,” de Kock said in a statement on Thursday.
“I never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue. I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example.
“If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.”
De Kock pulled out of Tuesday’s match against holders West Indies for “personal reasons”, defying orders from Cricket South Africa (CSA) to their players on following the anti-racism gesture. “I did not, in any way, mean to disrespect anyone by not playing against West Indies, especially the West Indian team themselves,” said de Kock.
“Maybe some people don’t understand that we were just hit with this on Tuesday morning, on the way to a game.
“I am deeply sorry for all the hurt, confusion and anger that I have caused. I was quiet on this very important issue until now. But I feel I have to explain myself a little bit.
“For me, Black lives have mattered since I was born. Not just because there was an international movement.”