International cricket got off to a positive restart on Wednesday (July 8) at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, with players from England and West Indies kneeling down and raising their hand in support of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement before the first ball on Day 1 of the first Test. 

They had to wait before stepping on the field because of a prolonged rain delay. But once English and Caribbean cricketers finally did so, they made wonderful use of the opportunity by giving support to the ongoing worldwide movement against racism. 

WATCH- Michael Holding breaks down while talking about the Black Lives Matter movement

Protests against the negative attitude towards the black race have re-triggered since the killing of an Afro-American, George Floyd, in the custody of a white policeman on May 25th in the USA. 

Both teams were already wearing the 'Black Lives Matter' logo designed for the occasion on the collar of their shirts and then the great gesture followed. 

Earlier to that, as toss got delayed due to the bad weather, commentators Michael Holding and Nasser Hussain gave strong support to the ongoing movement and backed the idea of educating youth on why racism is a major issue. 

The gesture of kneeling down has been made by other athletes from different sports as well. It has been observed in the Premier League, F1, LaLiga as well as Serie A, where sportspersons have provided vocal support to the anti-racism movement.