West Indian player points to racism in IPL
Sunrisers player says he was referred to by his skin colour
Kingston, June 7: Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy has alleged that he was subjected to racist comments during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
Sammy’s allegation came after his vociferous support to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign around the world after the killing of AfricanAmerican George Floyd in the US.
“I just learnt what that ‘kalu’ meant when I played for Sunrisers in the
IPL. They call me and Perera by that name. I thought it meant strong Stallion. My previous post tells me something different and I’m angry,” Sammy wrote on his Instagram page on Saturday.
He did not say when exactly he faced these remarks and by whom.
“Oh so that’s what that meant when they called me and @tp_perera kalu in India when we played for Sunrisers. I just thought they were calling me strong black man I’m more piss (sic) now.
Sammy has urged the ICC to take serious note of racism which exists in the gentleman’s game.
“@ICC and all the other boards are you guys not seeing what’s happening to ppl like me? Are you not gonna speak against the social injustice against my kind. This is not only about America,” he had tweeted earlier.
Sammy captained the West Indies to two T20 World Cup titles.
“For too long black people have suffered. I’m all the way in St Lucia and I’m frustrated If you see me as a teammate then you see #GeorgeFloyd Can you be part of the change by showing your support. #BlackLivesMatter,” read his earlier tweet.
Earlier, Sammy’s teammate Chris Gayle too spoke of it. “Racism is not only in football, it’s in cricket too. Even within teams as a black man, I get the end of the stick. Black and powerful. Black and proud,” he said.
The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement gathered steam in the US after Floyd, a 46year-old AfricanAmerican, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. —