South Africa's wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock had missed the game against West Indies and the Cricket South Africa (CSA) had issued a statement saying 'due to personal reasons'.
However, it was later unveiled that the batter missed the clash after he had decided to not take the knee. But now the cricketer has come forward to apologize to his teammates and fans for having withdrawn his name from the game.
In a statement that was released on Thursday morning (October 28), the batter stated that his intentions were not to hurt anyone.
"I would like to start by saying sorry to my teammates, and the fans back home. I never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue. I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example.
"I did not, in any way, mean to disrespect anyone by not playing against West Indies, especially the West Indian team themselves. Maybe some people don’t understand that we were just hit with this on Tuesday morning, on the way to a game. I am deeply sorry for all the hurt, confusion, and anger that I have caused," de Kock's statement read.
The Proteas cricketer also asserted that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement is extremely close to his heart and agreed to take the knee in all the upcoming matches.
"For those who don’t know, I come from a mixed-race family. My half-sisters are coloured and my stepmom is Black. For me, Black lives have mattered since I was born. Not just because there was an international movement. I was raised to understand that we all have rights, and they are important. I felt like my rights were taken away when I was told what we had to do in the way that we were told," the statement further read.
