Amid the Black Lives Matter protests, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that the world’s cricket governing body is proud of the diversity in the sport while extending its voice against racism.
The Black Lives Matter protests have erupted across the world following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody after a white police officer knelt on his neck last month.
A lot of athletes around the world including cricketers have also joined the protests and openly speaks up against racism on social media. However, the ICC usually does not allow players to display messages “relating to political, religious or racial activities” but has now supported them for the right cause.
With the growing number of cricketers speak up against racism, the ICC said the body will take a “common-sense approach” to deal with any potential Black Lives Matter protests by the players.
An ICC spokesperson said in a statement mailed to Reuters, “The ICC stands against racism and is proud of the diversity of our sport. We support players using their platform to appropriately express their support for a more equitable society.”
He further added, “We will exercise a common-sense approach to the implementation of regulations in relation to this issue and they will be assessed on a case by case basis by the match officials.”
Noteworthy, the ICC introduced its anti-racism policy in 2012 and calls it "one of the toughest in world sport".
(With Reuters Inputs)