Jofra Archer, the England fast bowler, has called for victims of racial abuse to speak out and not keep things bottled up as widespread protest continue to take place in various parts of the world following the death of George Floyd, an African-American who died in police custody in Minneapolis in the United States on May 25.
“I’m very glad the Black Lives Matter campaign has got as vocal as this,” Archer, who himself has been subjected to racial abuse in the past, wrote in the Daily Mail. “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 OK.”
The England team are known for their diversity and in last year’s World Cup they had players of New Zealand, South African and South Asian origins making the bulk of the trophy-winning first team.
In his column, Archer lauded his team for its diversity and said: “We all live in the country and if you are English, you have as much right to play as anyone else.
“There 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.”
Black Lives Matter protests against racism and police brutality have been witnessed in major European cities as well as other parts of the world since the death of Floyd.
