There is a lot of angry and negative ‘noise’ out there at the moment and I have no intention of adding to it. In the spirit of inclusivity and forgiveness it seems only right that Quinton de Kock is forgiven and welcomed back into the team fold, if not immediately the starting XI.
This while episode is a bizarre own goal. QdK apology statement ends with the unfortunate issue of Proteas always having some "drama" at a world cup. This one was self inflicted and oh so avoidable. Win the next five games an all will be forgiven.
There are a lot of pricks and big egos in cricket, but QDK is most certainly not one of them. He's a good person that got put in a bad situation.
So to lighten the mood a bit, I will recount my favourite QDK anecdote. He was in a press conference (or maybe interview) prior to an ODI (or maybe T20) series starting against Aus in 2014. For the first game, both Johnson and Starc had been ruled out. So the usual question goes to QDK, "Are you glad that as opener you won't have to face either of the Mitchells this game?'. Everyone was expecting the standard cliched response of "Its not good that they are not playing. We like to play against best, you want to test yourself against the best etc etc ..."
But QDK gave the most refreshing, honest answer; "Yeah its great that those 2 won't be playing. They are the only 2 bowlers that have hit me in the head."
Bending the knee, does not mean you support anti racism initiatives, but that you support BLM and all they stand for. The 3 page manifesto has a lot more points then just racism. It goes to all live choices as BLM saw fit. They also consider the choice of live from the biological mother to carry more weight and as such, when beding the knee, you support their notion of allowing the murder of babies up to 3 months old in the name of abortion.
To me it's atrocious that international cricket (as all teams seems to bend the knee), will support something like that.
I would suggest just bending both knees - one for black lives, and one for other lives, no movements like BLM etc.
Dear Neil May I suggest that you & your readers read 'The Daily Friend' here is a extract I agree with 100%! Thanks knd rgds louis-THE-lawyer
The lazy cliché is that the BLM movement arose in response to police violence in the United States of America. The more informed view is that Marxist activists exploited the idea of police violence in America as a means to supplant separately and collectively Christian and liberal values in Western societies.
Dear Manners. Thanks for your thought-provoking articles. However, I felt you were a bit too harsh in your recent article on QdK. I don't think it bodes well when authorities run roughshod over people's freedom of choice, even if we disagree with it. QdK did not commit any crime, neither did he insult or abuse anyone. All he did was express his individuality and reject the current fashion of the time.
If CSA is serious about anti-racism, let them do something practical. Taking the knee is a knee-jerk reaction (excuse the pun!) to this critical issue and is an easy way to please the political bosses without doing anything meaningful to combat the scourge. In 27 years since democracy, how many batters of colour have emerged from the domestic scene and represented the Proteas? Come on CSA, how about doing something about that.
So many points to discuss. Forgive the length of this post, it will be my only one, ever. I am a nobody, just a lowly fan, one of the silent millions who don't live on social media. My opinion is my own and I dont desire anyone to subscribe to it in whole or in part if they don't want to. It is just the expressions of a saddened, long time fan who has given up. Firstly, a gesture will always be just a gesture. Meaningless without action to back it up. This principle is usually expressed as Actions Speak Louder Than Words or Words Are Cheap. I believe in these principles. A visible or verbal profession of a subscription to a code of ethics, whether religious or otherwise, only to be broken behind closed doors, is meaningless, or worse, deceitful. I suspect this thought may have been at the heart of QdK's actions but who can really know except him? Over the last few days I have lost so much respect for pundits who have self-righteously judged him from a safe distance without any effort at understanding his position. I think they revealed more about themselves than him. In truth, any action under duress puts an equal, if not greater burden of responsibility on the source of the duress, especially if that source is in a position of unassailable authority. Is the car responsible for where it goes, or its driver? In this vein, I feel CSA's actions are deplorable, immature, draconian and shambolic. Their noble (I'm not being sarcastic, it's just harder to convey tone in writing.) motivations do not excuse their execution and lack of forethought and player engagement. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. To put a group of sportsmen in a potentially high pressure and ambiguous situation hours before a critical game at a world cup is pure inanity. I lament this is not the first time. Additionally, gestures do not make a supporter of a cause, just as a lack of a gesture at the moment you demand it does not make a person a non-supporter. I have no doubt CSA are in breach of not only the labour laws of our country by forcing an employee to be an activist under the threat of repercussions, but may even be guilty of constitutional transgressions. There are limits to the demands employers can make on their employees, and rightfully so. This does not demean the motivation behind the actions of the CSA, it just means individuals have the right to address a problem in the way that makes sense to that individual. There is not only one way to resist racial discrimination. There are many who fight it by simply treating all equally, by actually living in a way that shows respect and not just expressing it, only to reject it when others are not watching. Your way is not the only way, it can be said. The world is not binary as to the approach to a problem, as people are increasingly becoming nowadays. Anecdotally, as if anyone cares, I have such fond memories of the cricket I was part of at a lowly club level (which was the limit of my abilities), with the beautiful spectrum of racial and cultural backgrounds on full display in the teams I was a part of. Nobody was excluded or prejudiced in those teams based on the color of their skin as far as I could see, we just had fun together. All I saw was a love of cricket and comraderie, which, from what I witnessed on a weekly basis for a decade, crossed most of the racial lines our city has to offer. All this in an area that many politicians and others with a axe to grind would declare impossible. It is not impossible, it is real. We experienced it every week. No kneeling was necessary (which has far more significance as an act than is being acknowledged. You kneel before kings. For many it is an expression of subservience to a higher authority.), no need for gestures, just mutual respect, equal opportunities to have your voice heard, and love of cricket. This does not mean discrimination is not a reality, I am simply pointing out that this not a binary issue. Further to the discussion on a slightly different line, I firmly believe we should not subscribe to the assumption that players selected at the national level are somehow owned by the general public. Some argue they are privileged to represent their nation and therefore should be held to a different standard. I argue this is not true. I say their role is as transactional as any working position. They provide their skills, time, ability, sacrifice of privacy and effort while the country benefits from them in entertainment value and prestige in results. They are human beings like everybody else, with their own imperfect efforts at navigating life, often under unusual or even bizarre conditions the average human would struggle to deal with on their own. Being in the public eye does not mean they should be held to the whims of rapidly shifting public standards on any issue differently to anyone else. This does not devalue the issue of racial discrimination, it simply recognizes that sportsmen are just sportsmen, nothing else. They are not politicians, social activists or in it to be changemakers. They are by and large, as poorly equipped to handle such complex issues under pressure and in this case, extreme, time limitations as the rest of us and to expect them to get it right by the dynamic and ever changing public definition of 'right' fuelled by social media is just ludicrous. As one imperfect layman, I place the blame for this entire situation squarely at the feet of the CSA. Timing is everything in this case. Additionally, their acceptance of QdK's apology without a proper and full acknowledgement of their own role in the debacle (Simply acknowledging their timing is not a real taking of responsibility on their part.) is absurd and bodes ill for cricket here. Any business that treats their employees like this is either going to fail or flounder, in this case to the detriment of the players and fans. I grew up loving cricket. I don't care about the skin color of the players or their opinions on bubblegum flavored ice cream, as long as they are scoring hundreds, taking wickets and are there because they deserve it like any of their teammates, I am happy. I have been awed by the pure ability, mental toughness and style of so many players from this country of every color. I have loved the flavor and intelligent analysis injected into the game by others who have loved the sport like Mr Manthorp and so many others. This does not deny the endemic structural issues in cricket that have denied those with the requisite ability to play at the national level. It is just clear to me that the resolution of that problem rests primarily in the 99% of the cricket pyramid that sits below the national squad but because of 'optics' and politics, the focus is upside down. I am appalled by the politics that has been so readily injected into the game at the national level. Cricket here is no longer cricket, it is a tool for those in power to further their agenda of the day or is being let down by those who are simply not prepared to play the long game. I am tired of it all. The focus on politics, instead of cricket. The mismanagement, corruption and self-serving administrators who think the sport is there for their sole benefit. (For an example of how to do it better, please refer to SA Rugby and Rassie Erasmus. Not perfect by any means, but so, so much better, so much more mature and professional.) It has been years in the making and I've had enough of it all (along with the single-minded rush towards the attention-span challenged, money fuelled world of T20, but that's just me, you can love it if you want. Really, that's an entirely different discussion.). With great sadness I resign as a fan from the sport I once loved so much, it is simply not worth the emotional investment anymore, life is too short. I suspect I am not the only one who feels this way. Sincerely, thank-you Neil and others of all colors and backgrounds for the joy I experienced from your contributions to cricket. I wish you all the very best.
Definitely my least favourite piece of this glorious column. I would have thought you would find the interesting, subtle angle to this that the commentariate has missed. Like QDK the sportsman, the fiercely individualist competitor, the records, the prodigious talent, and how that weaves into his opposition to being illegitimately told what to do, to his loss of autonomy ... but no, a polite rehashing of the Twittersphere is all we got.
But who decides which human rights issues we should take the knee for?-BLM,Me Too, Abortion, anti semitism,gay rights etc. And btw contradicting something you wrote a few days ago. I am Jewish and we do NOT ever kneel
This while episode is a bizarre own goal. QdK apology statement ends with the unfortunate issue of Proteas always having some "drama" at a world cup. This one was self inflicted and oh so avoidable. Win the next five games an all will be forgiven.
There are a lot of pricks and big egos in cricket, but QDK is most certainly not one of them. He's a good person that got put in a bad situation.
So to lighten the mood a bit, I will recount my favourite QDK anecdote. He was in a press conference (or maybe interview) prior to an ODI (or maybe T20) series starting against Aus in 2014. For the first game, both Johnson and Starc had been ruled out. So the usual question goes to QDK, "Are you glad that as opener you won't have to face either of the Mitchells this game?'. Everyone was expecting the standard cliched response of "Its not good that they are not playing. We like to play against best, you want to test yourself against the best etc etc ..."
But QDK gave the most refreshing, honest answer; "Yeah its great that those 2 won't be playing. They are the only 2 bowlers that have hit me in the head."
Bending the knee, does not mean you support anti racism initiatives, but that you support BLM and all they stand for. The 3 page manifesto has a lot more points then just racism. It goes to all live choices as BLM saw fit. They also consider the choice of live from the biological mother to carry more weight and as such, when beding the knee, you support their notion of allowing the murder of babies up to 3 months old in the name of abortion.
To me it's atrocious that international cricket (as all teams seems to bend the knee), will support something like that.
I would suggest just bending both knees - one for black lives, and one for other lives, no movements like BLM etc.
Dear Neil May I suggest that you & your readers read 'The Daily Friend' here is a extract I agree with 100%! Thanks knd rgds louis-THE-lawyer
The lazy cliché is that the BLM movement arose in response to police violence in the United States of America. The more informed view is that Marxist activists exploited the idea of police violence in America as a means to supplant separately and collectively Christian and liberal values in Western societies.
Dear Manners. Thanks for your thought-provoking articles. However, I felt you were a bit too harsh in your recent article on QdK. I don't think it bodes well when authorities run roughshod over people's freedom of choice, even if we disagree with it. QdK did not commit any crime, neither did he insult or abuse anyone. All he did was express his individuality and reject the current fashion of the time.
If CSA is serious about anti-racism, let them do something practical. Taking the knee is a knee-jerk reaction (excuse the pun!) to this critical issue and is an easy way to please the political bosses without doing anything meaningful to combat the scourge. In 27 years since democracy, how many batters of colour have emerged from the domestic scene and represented the Proteas? Come on CSA, how about doing something about that.
So many points to discuss. Forgive the length of this post, it will be my only one, ever. I am a nobody, just a lowly fan, one of the silent millions who don't live on social media. My opinion is my own and I dont desire anyone to subscribe to it in whole or in part if they don't want to. It is just the expressions of a saddened, long time fan who has given up. Firstly, a gesture will always be just a gesture. Meaningless without action to back it up. This principle is usually expressed as Actions Speak Louder Than Words or Words Are Cheap. I believe in these principles. A visible or verbal profession of a subscription to a code of ethics, whether religious or otherwise, only to be broken behind closed doors, is meaningless, or worse, deceitful. I suspect this thought may have been at the heart of QdK's actions but who can really know except him? Over the last few days I have lost so much respect for pundits who have self-righteously judged him from a safe distance without any effort at understanding his position. I think they revealed more about themselves than him. In truth, any action under duress puts an equal, if not greater burden of responsibility on the source of the duress, especially if that source is in a position of unassailable authority. Is the car responsible for where it goes, or its driver? In this vein, I feel CSA's actions are deplorable, immature, draconian and shambolic. Their noble (I'm not being sarcastic, it's just harder to convey tone in writing.) motivations do not excuse their execution and lack of forethought and player engagement. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. To put a group of sportsmen in a potentially high pressure and ambiguous situation hours before a critical game at a world cup is pure inanity. I lament this is not the first time. Additionally, gestures do not make a supporter of a cause, just as a lack of a gesture at the moment you demand it does not make a person a non-supporter. I have no doubt CSA are in breach of not only the labour laws of our country by forcing an employee to be an activist under the threat of repercussions, but may even be guilty of constitutional transgressions. There are limits to the demands employers can make on their employees, and rightfully so. This does not demean the motivation behind the actions of the CSA, it just means individuals have the right to address a problem in the way that makes sense to that individual. There is not only one way to resist racial discrimination. There are many who fight it by simply treating all equally, by actually living in a way that shows respect and not just expressing it, only to reject it when others are not watching. Your way is not the only way, it can be said. The world is not binary as to the approach to a problem, as people are increasingly becoming nowadays. Anecdotally, as if anyone cares, I have such fond memories of the cricket I was part of at a lowly club level (which was the limit of my abilities), with the beautiful spectrum of racial and cultural backgrounds on full display in the teams I was a part of. Nobody was excluded or prejudiced in those teams based on the color of their skin as far as I could see, we just had fun together. All I saw was a love of cricket and comraderie, which, from what I witnessed on a weekly basis for a decade, crossed most of the racial lines our city has to offer. All this in an area that many politicians and others with a axe to grind would declare impossible. It is not impossible, it is real. We experienced it every week. No kneeling was necessary (which has far more significance as an act than is being acknowledged. You kneel before kings. For many it is an expression of subservience to a higher authority.), no need for gestures, just mutual respect, equal opportunities to have your voice heard, and love of cricket. This does not mean discrimination is not a reality, I am simply pointing out that this not a binary issue. Further to the discussion on a slightly different line, I firmly believe we should not subscribe to the assumption that players selected at the national level are somehow owned by the general public. Some argue they are privileged to represent their nation and therefore should be held to a different standard. I argue this is not true. I say their role is as transactional as any working position. They provide their skills, time, ability, sacrifice of privacy and effort while the country benefits from them in entertainment value and prestige in results. They are human beings like everybody else, with their own imperfect efforts at navigating life, often under unusual or even bizarre conditions the average human would struggle to deal with on their own. Being in the public eye does not mean they should be held to the whims of rapidly shifting public standards on any issue differently to anyone else. This does not devalue the issue of racial discrimination, it simply recognizes that sportsmen are just sportsmen, nothing else. They are not politicians, social activists or in it to be changemakers. They are by and large, as poorly equipped to handle such complex issues under pressure and in this case, extreme, time limitations as the rest of us and to expect them to get it right by the dynamic and ever changing public definition of 'right' fuelled by social media is just ludicrous. As one imperfect layman, I place the blame for this entire situation squarely at the feet of the CSA. Timing is everything in this case. Additionally, their acceptance of QdK's apology without a proper and full acknowledgement of their own role in the debacle (Simply acknowledging their timing is not a real taking of responsibility on their part.) is absurd and bodes ill for cricket here. Any business that treats their employees like this is either going to fail or flounder, in this case to the detriment of the players and fans. I grew up loving cricket. I don't care about the skin color of the players or their opinions on bubblegum flavored ice cream, as long as they are scoring hundreds, taking wickets and are there because they deserve it like any of their teammates, I am happy. I have been awed by the pure ability, mental toughness and style of so many players from this country of every color. I have loved the flavor and intelligent analysis injected into the game by others who have loved the sport like Mr Manthorp and so many others. This does not deny the endemic structural issues in cricket that have denied those with the requisite ability to play at the national level. It is just clear to me that the resolution of that problem rests primarily in the 99% of the cricket pyramid that sits below the national squad but because of 'optics' and politics, the focus is upside down. I am appalled by the politics that has been so readily injected into the game at the national level. Cricket here is no longer cricket, it is a tool for those in power to further their agenda of the day or is being let down by those who are simply not prepared to play the long game. I am tired of it all. The focus on politics, instead of cricket. The mismanagement, corruption and self-serving administrators who think the sport is there for their sole benefit. (For an example of how to do it better, please refer to SA Rugby and Rassie Erasmus. Not perfect by any means, but so, so much better, so much more mature and professional.) It has been years in the making and I've had enough of it all (along with the single-minded rush towards the attention-span challenged, money fuelled world of T20, but that's just me, you can love it if you want. Really, that's an entirely different discussion.). With great sadness I resign as a fan from the sport I once loved so much, it is simply not worth the emotional investment anymore, life is too short. I suspect I am not the only one who feels this way. Sincerely, thank-you Neil and others of all colors and backgrounds for the joy I experienced from your contributions to cricket. I wish you all the very best.
Definitely my least favourite piece of this glorious column. I would have thought you would find the interesting, subtle angle to this that the commentariate has missed. Like QDK the sportsman, the fiercely individualist competitor, the records, the prodigious talent, and how that weaves into his opposition to being illegitimately told what to do, to his loss of autonomy ... but no, a polite rehashing of the Twittersphere is all we got.
But who decides which human rights issues we should take the knee for?-BLM,Me Too, Abortion, anti semitism,gay rights etc. And btw contradicting something you wrote a few days ago. I am Jewish and we do NOT ever kneel