Australian cricket team’s barefoot stand in support of Black Lives Matter

The Australian men’s cricket side will form a barefoot circle before the first ODI against India | NEW PODCAST

The Australian men’s cricket team will a barefoot circle ceremony before the first ODI against India, as teams have done in the WBBL. Picture: Getty Images

Australian cricketers discussed taking a knee before matches and will leave that decision to the individual, but they will acknowledge the global anti-racism protest movement in sport by performing a barefoot circle ceremony before the first ODI against India at the SCG on Friday November 27.

The team will also wear an indigenous designed shirt for the T20 component of the tour which expands on the Walkabout Wickets design they wore on their collar in recent series.

Indian players will also be asked before the series begins if they wish to participate.

The decision to conduct the barefoot ceremony was reached in a team meeting last Thursday led by Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins, who have been actively seeking views ahead of the summer. All the players in the limited overs squads are understood to be keen to participate.

Mitchell Starc in the new Australian T20 shirt.

The Australian broke the news of the decision on Monday morning in its exclusive podcast Cricket Et Cetera.

The Black Lives Matter movement sparked by a series of American deaths at the hands of police has provoked a broader reaction in sport with many choosing to follow former NFL star Colin Kaepernick’s lead in taking a knee during the national anthem.

The England and West Indies teams followed the US lead during the northern summer.

The Australian women formed a barefoot  circle in recognition of indigenous culture at the beginning of their series against New Zealand and some players have taken a knee during WBBL matches.

Australian vice-captain Pat Cummins said the side discussed taking a knee and he was comfortable with players making that protest if they wish.

“We think it is really important to do our bit and we’ve decided to do the barefoot circle and we are going to look at doing it at the start of each series,” Cummins said. “Once you start to learn a bit about it, it becomes a really easy decision.

“Not only as a sport but we as people are absolutely against racism. We can probably put our hands up and say we haven’t done enough in the past and we want to get better. This is one small thing we are going to introduce this summer.

“In Australia we think the most marginalised group is the First Nations people and the Indigenous people, we think the barefoot circle is a great way to celebrate them. Some people might want to take the knee, some people might want to show in different ways and we are absolutely for that.

“We’ve come together as a team and think this is the best way we can demonstrate anti-racism as well as celebrating Indigenous culture.

“Everyone will do it in their won way internally but everybody is absolutely on board with the barefoot circle.”

Australian coach Justin Langer believes the team is on the right path with its decision.

“Racism is wrong, that is a universal law, simple,” Langer told The Australian. “Our players have discussed amongst themselves what they will do publicly and they will be doing a barefoot circle before the series.

“This is a reflection of consistency within Australian cricket and as a sign of respect and recognition to our Aboriginal culture and heritage.”

Cricket Australia’s corporate website notes the barefoot circle is a “cricket centric” way to pay respects to country and the traditional owners.

“The circle is often part of pre-series activities and has started in Reconciliation Round as a stance of anti-racism, commitment to reconciliation and strength together,” it states.

West Indies legend Michael Holding became the de facto spokesperson on the issue via his impassioned advocacy during the English summer. The former fast bowler criticised the Australians and other sides for failing to make any gesture after the West Indies and England sides took a knee during that series.

Cricket Australia says a barefoot circle is a “cricket centric” way to pay respects to country. Picture: Getty Images

Holding spoke to The Guardian on the weekend about discrimination in sport and society.

“I don’t want people to sit back and think: ‘OK, now this is happening everything is fine.’ That’s why I was so upset when the players stopped taking a knee. Because this has not ended yet,” he said.

Holding dismissed criticism that the original BLM movement was connected with the radical Left.

“This is a humanitarian movement and anyone who cannot see that has a problem,” he said. “Anyone who cannot see that is a part of the problem. I have no business with the politics of Black Lives Matter, I’m talking about the principles of it.”

Fellow West Indian Carlos Brathwaite indicated on the weekend that it is an issue he feels passionately about ahead of joining the Sydney Sixers BBL side.

“I can’t say what is right or wrong for the Australian team to do. That’s an in-house decision. Ultimately I can only watch from afar and I guess I can make my own judgments based on their decision and their own reasonings – but for me to say the Australian team should do X or Y or Z I think would be crossing a line,” Brathwaite told News Corp.

“On one hand it was real pleasing to see (England and West Indies) … take a knee in solidarity. I was a bit disappointed when the knee wasn’t taken against Australia and Pakistan, but then again when West Indies women came they took the knee again.

“So it’s like, is taking a knee a suggestion of solidarity with black players and the Black Lives Matter movement? Or is it a gesture that you would only afford the West Indies because we are the only predominantly black team?

“It’s just the inconsistency that was disappointing. You’re either taking it or you’re not.

“Taking a knee is to start to show that the cricket world are understanding and they want to stand in solidarity with black players, minorities, persons of colour, and that they want to raise awareness that things in society should change as well,” he said.

“It’s supposed to be a domino effect. There is not one without the other. So while yes, taking a knee is very important to show solidarity, it needs to reverberate and go off the field and into systems being put in place that black players and persons of colour can get the same pathways and same equal opportunity as a white person.”