(REUTERS): Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy has urged the cricket’s governing bodies to treat racism more seriously and pay it the same attention they give to upholding the integrity of the game.
“We’ve made the recommendations. You know racism is real. It is not something that we can hide,” Sammy told an international news agency in Trinidad, where he is playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Athletes across the world have raised voice against the racism in sport as part of the Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd. Sammy has been at the forefront of the movement in cricket and wants those who run the game to do more.
“I urge the concerned bodies to give racism the same emphasis they put on protecting the integrity of the game. Why not protect the integrity of human beings?” he added.
He further said, “If you’re able to raise awareness in the game, where every person, every human being is treated equally, regardless of the colour of their skin, I think that is the way the world should be.”
He also said, “It’s amazing to see the lack of conversation in the cricket circle from certain parts of the world when it comes to social injustice and racism and all these things.”
“If you do care about the integrity of the game and don’t take a stance against racism, or social injustice against people of colour, then to me you’re really not doing your job,” he added.
Sammy travels around the world with his former West Indies teammate Chris Gayle to play in numerous domestic tournaments as Twenty20 freelancers. Both have complained about facing racial abuse in the past.
Last year, former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was slapped with a four-match ban for a racist remark aimed at South Africa all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo.
Earlier, Sammy also made an allegation of racism against his former Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates over a Hindi nickname he was given when he was part of the IPL franchise from 2013-14.
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