South Africa cricket team raise fists in support of Black Lives Matter

South Africa's cricket team have expressed their "ongoing commitment" to support the Black Lives Matter movement by raising their fists ahead of the first Test match of their series against Sri Lanka.

The Proteas faced criticism after opting not to take a knee ahead of their limited overs matches against England in November, their first international fixtures since the death of American man George Floyd in May triggered global protests.

In November a statement was issued saying that the squad had reached a unanimous decision not to kneel, with its commitment to anti-racism described as "a process, not an event".

However, a new statement, released on the morning of their series opener against Sri Lanka in Centurion, revealed a change of approach.

"We as the Proteas team have, on multiple occasions, declared our unmistakable support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaign. We have openly discussed the topic on numerous occasions with the media and amongst each other and we are committed to continuing to do this work together," the statement said.

"We continue to own our journey and our previously stated stance on this issue (Players' Statement and press release dated 25 November). We recognise that our actions will most likely result in criticism from some community, one way or another, but work to prioritise the team, to be honest about our own learning journey and to continue to make decisions that we can own in good conscience as a team, first and foremost, and as individuals.

"To this end, we have taken the decision - through a process of deep democracy - to raise our fists at the beginning of the Test series against Sri Lanka as a gesture to express our ongoing commitments."

Athletes competing in various sports around the world, including England's cricket team ahead of their summer series against the West Indies, have shown their support for the Black Lives Movement by kneeling ahead of games, a gesture popularised by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

Premier League footballers have continued making the gesture during the 2020-21 season, with a recent Professional Footballers' Association survey showing overwhelming player support for it.

South Africa's stance on the matter is likely to face heightened scrutiny due to the country's history of racism, with its apartheid system only having ended in 1990.

The Proteas continue to operate a quota system which stipulates six players of colour should be selected in each squad, two of whom should be black African.

"We recognise that gestures have histories and contexts, which carry meaning beyond themselves (both positive and negative) and that these gestures may be open to misinterpretation. Symbols also serve the purpose of communicating shared values and meaning.

"We feel it is important to note that while American football quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, is now known for initiating the gesture of taking the knee, he began his protest by sitting during the singing of the United States of America (USA) anthem. His decision to move toward taking the knee was a response to his context and a desire to own a gesture that had deep significance in the USA political environment.

"In the same vein as Kaepernick, we would like to use our sporting platform to raise awareness around an issue that matters deeply in this historical moment. We want to do so in a way that unites us around a gesture we own, which speaks to and resonates in our South African context, and which is connected to our own history of struggle for human rights.

"The raised fist is a powerful gesture in our own history, as expressed in the iconic images of Nelson and Winnie Mandela on Mandela's release from prison in 1990. In this context it was a powerful gesture of triumph, an acknowledgement of the struggle against apartheid, and a commitment to continuing to fight for equality, justice and freedom, while also honouring the religious and cultural responsibilities of every member of our team.

"The raised fist has a long history also within the Civil Rights movement. It has been used iconically within the sporting arena as well. For example, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during a medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, later noting it as a 'human rights salute'. More recently it has been used within the BLM movement.

"We recognise the historical and political connotations of the raised fist as a gesture of ongoing solidarity in the fight for racial justice and anti-racism work. So, we stand together and raise our fists as a gesture of solidarity and commitment to continuing the work of pursuing racial justice in our lifetimes"