Many prominent athletes from all around the world raised their voice against racism following the death of American-African man George Floyd in Minneapolis. In viral video footage, a white police officer can be seen kneeling over Floyd’s neck. Several players were agonized by the news as they urged the people to support the Black Lives Matter campaign. England fast bowler Jofra Archer also joined the bandwagon and said that he’s delighted to see the fight against racism getting vocal worldwide. Darren Sammy Urges ICC and Other Cricket Boards to Support #BlackLivesMatter to Fight Racism.

“I’m very glad the Black Lives Matter campaign has got as vocal as this,” the Barbados-born pacer wrote in his column for the Daily Mail. Last year, Archer himself was subjected to racial abuse during the 2nd Test match between England and New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. The right-arm pacer was devastated over the incident back then and the guilty spectator faced a two-year ban from attending any domestic and international match in the country. Who Was George Floyd? Why Was He Detained? Here's Why.

Archer also said that an individual should open about anything bothering him and racism is ‘not okay’ at all. “As an individual, I’ve always been one for speaking out, especially if something bothers you. My personal view is that you should never keep things bottled up, because racism is not okay,” he added.

The 2019-World Cup winner also lauded the diversity in the England cricket team as the squad consists of players from different parts of the world. “We all live in the country and if you are English, you have as much right to play as anyone else. here was a picture ... of me, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid hugging in celebration during the 2019 World Cup. It told you everything you need to know about our team,” the 25-year-old added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2020 01:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).