Former South Africa skipper Hashim Amla on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, backing fellow cricketer Lungi Ngidi, who was recently criticised by ex-Proteas like Pat Symcox and Boeta Dippenar for supporting the movement.
“... The imagined superiority of whites over blacks or blacks over whites, or one nationality over another, is simply delusional. Yes that’s right - nothing but delusional,” Amla, the 37-year-old batsman, who led South Africa in Tests between 2014 and 2016, wrote in an Instagram post.
However many of us, including myself, have bore the brunt of these delusions and have crazy stories to tell which is why it makes it even more admirable to see exceptional youngsters like Lungi Ngidi doing his bit to represent us all.
“Thank you brother and all those who stand up for just causes in their own way - publicly and privately.”
On Tuesday, as many as 30 former South Africa cricketers, including Makhaya Ntini, Herchelle Gibbs and Vernon Philander, had issued a statement saying racism remains a part of the game in the country.
Ngidi was criticised after he said that racism issue is “something that we need to take very seriously and like the rest of the world is doing, make the stand.”
“There are oppressed people here in this country and the world over, of all colours and walks of life, cricket included. However the darker skinned people have had the worst of it,” said Amla, who scored 311 not out against England in 2012 – the highest by a South African.
“Some may convince themselves otherwise but you have to ask yourself - are those who know the same as those who don’t know?
Ngidi had also received support from the South African Cricketers’ Association and Cricket South Africa, who came out with statements in favour of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Former cricketer Ashwell Prince, who also led South Africa in a few matches, had called the country’s system “broken” and claimed that several national team players faced racial abuse on a tour of Australia in 2005.
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