The England cricket team will wear ‘Black Lives Matter’ badges on their jerseys during the upcoming Test series against West Indies.
Calling it an “act of solidarity” with their opponents, England captain Joe Root said that the decision to wear the logo was shared by the players and management.
“It is very simple, we believe there is no room for racism or any form of discrimination, anywhere,” said Root, who will be absent from the first Test match at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton from July 8 to attend the birth of his second child.
“It is important to show solidarity to the black community and to raise much needed awareness around the topics of equality and justice. The England players and management are unified in this approach and will use the platform of international cricket to fully support the objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists.”
The West Indies team had announced earlier this week that its players will sport the ‘Black Lives Matter’ logo on the collars of their shirts. The logo, which has been approved by the ICC, is the same as the ones used by all clubs in the Premier League, after the resumption of football in the UK. It was created by the designer Alisha Hosannah.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board fully support the message that Black Lives Matter. It has become a message of solidarity and a drive for progress and societal change,” said ECB CEO Tom Harrison.
“Our support of that message is not an endorsement, tacit or otherwise, of any political organisation, nor the backing of any group that calls for violence or condones illegal activity. We are aware of certain aspects of the movement that promote their own political views, and their actions are not supported in any way by the ECB and our players.”
Calls for actions against racism has become louder, especially in sports, since the custodial killing of George Floyd by white police officers in Minneapolis in the United States.
