New Delhi: Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy expressed anger upon realising the meaning of the word ‘kaalu’, which he says was used to refer to him and Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera when the pair played for Indian Premier League (IPL) side Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“Oh so that’s what that meant when they called me and Thisara Perera Kalu in India when we played for Sunrisers. I just thought they were calling me strong black man I’m more piss now (sic.),” Sammy wrote in an Instagram story.
He wrote in the next story: “I just learnt what that kalu meant when I played for Sunrisers in the IPL. They called me and Perera by that name. I thought it meant strong Stallion. My previous post tells me something different and I am angry.”
Sammy’s stories were a reaction to the an episode of the show “The Patriot Act” hosted by Indian American comedian Hasan Minhaj, which spoke about racism in Indian households.
Sammy has urged the cricket community to speak out on George Floyd’s death that has caused a massive outrage in the United States.
Floyd, aged 46, died last week shortly after Derek Chauvin, a police officer, held him down with a knee on his neck though he repeatedly pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” and “please, I can’t breathe”.
Sammy took to social media and called out International Cricket Council (ICC) and other cricket boards to speak out on the matter as according to him, “injustice” like this happens all around the world.
“For too long black people have suffered. I’m all the way in St Lucia and I’m frustrated. If you see me as a teammate then you see George Floyd, Can you be part of the change by showing your support. #BlackLivesMatter,” Sammy wrote on his Twitter handle.
