Johannesburg – Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis has made it clear that all lives don’t matter until black lives matter, as the middle order batsman became the fourth white player, but probably the most significant one in the Proteas setup, to stand up for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Du Plessis, 36, posted on Instagram where he said a race problem is a human problem, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of black lives.
“So I am saying that all lives don’t matter UNTIL black lives matter. I’m speaking up now‚ because if I wait to be perfect‚ I never will‚” wrote du Plessis.
“I want to leave a legacy of empathy. The work needs to continue for the change to come and whether we agree or disagree‚ conversation is the vehicle for change.
“A race problem is a human race problem. If one part of the body hurts‚ we all stop‚ we empathise‚ we get perspective‚ we learn and then we tend to the hurting part of the body.”
He added that during his tenure as Proteas captain, he struggled to deal with issues of transformation.
Du Plessis found himself at the centre of attention earlier this year when in a press conference during the England test series, he said he didn’t see colour. This came after batsman Themba Bavuma was initially injured, then dropped from the test team.
While Cricket South Africa said they support the Black Lives Matter movement, there has been a significant upwelling of painful past experiences from the former players who have moved into the coaching ranks since the latest matter arose.
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