West Indies star Chris Gayle took to social media on Monday and wrote that racism exists in cricket too and not just in the sport of football. His comments come in the backdrop of the ongoing protests in the US after an African-American man, George Floyd, died after a police officer pressed his knee on his neck.
Video footage of George Floyd’s arrest went viral on social media on the day of his death on May 25 in which a white police officer can be seen kneeling on the neck of Floyd for nearly 9 minutes before he died. The 46-year-old George Floyd’s death has triggered massive outrage and unrest with the imposition of curfews in dozens of cities across the United States, while in London a demonstration was held in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Derek Chauvin, the since-fired 44-year-old police officer involved in the incident, has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was released on $500,000 bail and is due to appear in court on June 8, according to jail records.
Gayle wrote on social media that racism is an issue that exists even in cricket and even he has faced it is a black man. “Racism is not only in football, but it’s also in cricket too. Even within teams as a black man, I get the end of the stick. Black and powerful. Black and proud,” Gayle wrote in his Instagram story. A plethora of sportspersons has expressed their concern over the incident. Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford have also rued the incident.
