Can of worms.

[K]

^^ At the time, ABC's Tracey Holmes was very sympathetic to him...

"Many of the initial reactions were too simplistic, many rushing to judgement much too early.

Even before de Kock issued a moving and detailed three-page apology none of the pieces of this puzzle matched the picture some were trying to paint.

Nobody could point to any racist incident de Kock had been part of.
...

"For those who don't know, I come from a mixed-race family."

Its simplicity belies the complexity surrounding de Kock's decision not to take a knee and the 48-hour firestorm that followed.
...

How quickly we judged. How quickly we criticised. How quickly we saw something that wasn't there … a racist act, a privileged choice, a selfish act of defiance.

It was none of the above.

It was a cricketer with a complicated family history, from a country that only recently gave up its racist laws.
...

His apology is done. How long will it take before we give him ours?"

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-29/quinton-de-kock-has-given-his-apology-others-should-too/100578818


Huh??

Makes me question Holmes's sanity!! Her sympathy is based on QdK not having publicly documented racist incidents in his past and having a mixed-race background?? That makes sense... Not!

[K]

Baum's views (before QdK's apology) sound much saner than Holmes's:

South Africa’s Quinton de Kock takes a stance, and a tumble

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/south-africa-s-quinton-de-kock-takes-a-stance-and-a-tumble-20211027-p593lj.html

Oct 27, 2021

"Quinton de Kock understands the power of gestures.

After reaching 50 and then 100 in a Test innings against the West Indies earlier this year, he made a signal with his upturned hand that he said was in part to dedicate the milestones to rhino conservation, and held his bat out to show a sticker on it bearing the name of a rhino conservation foundation. He repeated the message after the match.

Rhinos, evidently, were worth his while. People? Not so much.
...

De Kock also plainly understands that international sport is a performance, its forums stages. You could not be a sportsperson in South Africa and not grasp this.
...

It’s only a gesture, but if you want to see the power of gesture in its obverse form, have a look at the shot of South Africa before their previous match against Australia. On the sidelines, some players are standing to attention, some raising clenched fists, but only four are kneeling. Two have their hands defiantly behind their backs. De Kock, who was already at the crease, also stood.

It’s a picture that tells 1000 words, and they’re mostly in Afrikaans. It’s the image of a country divided still on its most fundamental principle. De Kock’s non-gesture is itself a gesture. It says, white rhinos, I’ve got your back; black people, please yourselves.

Of all people, it had to be a South African who demurred. Of all countries, it has to be the West Indies who were made the fall guys. To date, these latter-day West Indians were biting their tongues. It’s not hard to imagine what Viv Richards would have said.
...

No one is asking de Kock to give up his family house, or his own pet causes, nor even his moral compass, wherever it points. He is being asked only for a minute of his time. He is being asked for a gesture."

[K]

15 Dec 2021:

SJN report says CSA discriminated against players on the basis of race
The 235-page report concluded that Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers had all engaged in prejudicial conduct

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/sjn-report-says-csa-discriminated-against-players-on-the-basis-of-race-1293419

"CSA said the issues facing cricket "are a complex interaction of multiple factors stemming from the history of this country and consequent socio-economic factors that prevail today." They will engage with the report further in 2022.

No punitive action is being taken against anyone immediately, however.
...

Adams testified that he was nicknamed "b**** s***" by his national team-mates, including Boucher. In a responding affidavit, Boucher admitted that he was among those who sang a song which included the slur. Boucher apologised and explained that white players were unprepared for the realities of post-Apartheid team dynamics. The ombudsman found that Boucher's response revealed a "lack of sensitivity and understanding of the racist undertones," of his comments, that Boucher attempted to excuse racism because it was done in a team setting and that he does "not comprehend the South African apartheid/discriminatory and racist history.""

[K]

de Kock has a baby girl...

Gotta say, I feel sorry for her. Life is hard enough without foolish parents.

[K]

Yorkshire have sacked almost all their staff. Ryan Sidebottom, the new coach, blundered in an interview by saying they should "forget" the racism. He's apologised on social media and said that was not the right word.

[K]

Boucher charged with gross misconduct by CSA

"Cricket South Africa (CSA) has charged senior men's national team coach Mark Boucher with gross misconduct after he was accused of racism by former teammate Paul Adams.

The charges stem from the "tentative findings" made last month by the Social Justice and Nation Building Ombudsman, who is looking into alleged discrimination within the sport's national governing organisation in the past."

(Reuters)

[K]

How I responded to racist abuse on tour in India

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/how-i-responded-to-racist-abuse-on-tour-in-india-20230216-p5cl1g.html

'As a journalist, I am accustomed to robust feedback on my work on social media, but this was unacceptable. The feedback this tour from cricket fans has been firm but, thankfully, not racist.
...

One reader, seemingly more upset by my response than they were to the abuse I received, wrote to our customer advocate account condemning my “appalling behaviour” for not respecting my troll’s privacy.
...

Throughout the drama, my colleagues on tour – they know who they are – stood by me. So too my sports editor and other senior management in the newsroom, who backed me to the hilt. I thank them all.'

[K]

[K]

HOLDING UP A MIRROR TO CRICKET

A Report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket

https://theicec.com/report/

'The ICEC has concluded its examination of the state of equity in cricket and is now closed.

Our Report and recommendations to drive equity, diversity and inclusion forward within cricket is with the ECB for their consideration. The ECB has agreed to produce a full public response within three months. This will set out whether they have accepted the ICEC’s recommendations and will detail the actions they plan to take in response.'