‘Sport has the power to change the world’, says Cricket West Indies on racism

Photo: Twitter/@windiescricket

New Delhi: Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday (June 2, 2020) released an official statement on equality and came in solidarity with the millions around the world in the battle against racism.

CWI in its statement on equality said that "Sport has the power to change the world," and that CWI is horrified as they witnessed the treatment and consequent death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd.

“We join our cricketers, other cricket stakeholders, all sportsmen, sportswomen, and sports administrators, in speaking out against all forms of racism and inequality,” said CWI.

They added, “The people of the West Indies have fought many battles of our own, on and off the field. We have been blessed to witness the prowess, determination and leaders of our cricketing heroes who united the Caribbean and brought great success and pride to our people.”

The statement comes amid the on-going protests in the world, mainly in the USA for ‘Black Lives Matter’. The protests started after an African-American man George Floyd died after having a knee pressed into his neck by a police officer in Minneapolis.

CWI said, "Our cricketing heroes helped in large measure to pave the way for cricket and our West Indian societies to thrive at home, and generated great enjoyment and dignity for the West Indian diaspora abroad while they faced their own experiences of inequality and injustice in their adopted homes." 

They added, "We therefore support all sporting icons and role models who are today leading the way in peacefully protesting and standing against the scourge of racism and injustice.”

CWI believes that with sportsmen and women standing together, ‘sport has the power to change’ the world, it has the power to inspire and unite people in a way that little else can.

Cricket West Indies also updated their profile picture on social media where they have chosen the black and white filter.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/SOhs9iN5by — Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) June 3, 2020

Earlier yesterday (June 2), Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy urged International Cricket Council (ICC) and other cricketing boards to ‘not to be silent now’ and said that he ‘wants to hear them out’ on the social injustice happening to people like him.

He took to his official Twitter account and showed his ‘frustration’ in a series of tweets.

Sammy said, “Right now if the cricket world not standing against the injustice against people of color after seeing that last video of that foot down the next of my brother you are also part of the problem.”