^^ 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/ ... /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!
Can of worms.
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/so ... 593lj.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."
South Africa’s Quinton de Kock takes a stance, and a tumble
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/so ... 593lj.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."
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- ... ce-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.""
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- ... ce-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.""
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)
"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)
And this is why the excuse of being young never sat right with me.K wrote:...
"The tweets, which were posted between 2012 and 2014, when Robinson was aged between 18 and 20, contained racist and sexist content, as well as other pejorative comments..."
(cricinfo)
Ten years later, he's almost 30, and still as much a sh** as he was as a teen.
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.'
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.'