The black lives matter movement is gaining momentum with every passing day.
After Premier League clubs and West Indies cricket team, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now joined the list of supporters of the movement.
The ECB on Thursday confirmed England Test Team T-shirts will carry “black lives matter” logo, designed by Alisha Hosannah, on the collar during the Wisden Trophy beginning July 8.
The logo was earlier used by all Premier League clubs after the resumption of season post the COVID-19 pandemic.
Message of solidarity
ECB CEO Tom Harrison said the board fully supported the message, which has become a sign of societal change and progress, while rejecting that it is an endorsement of a political movement.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board fully support the message that Black Lives Matter. It has become a message of solidarity and a drive for progress and societal change.
“There can be no place for racism in society or our sport, and we must do more to tackle it.
“We are aware of certain aspects of the movement that promote their own political views, and their actions are not supported in any way by the ECB and our players.
“Our support of that message is not an endorsement, tacit or otherwise, of any political organisation, nor the backing of any group that calls for violence or condones illegal activity,” Tom Harrison said in a statement.
Eradicating racial prejudice
England Captain Joe Root, who will miss the first Test against the touring West Indies, underlined the need to raise awareness around topics of equality and justice and said the players were looking to use the international cricket to eradicate racial prejudice.
“It is important to show solidarity to the black community and to raise much-needed awareness around the topics of equality and justice.
“The England players and management are unified in this approach and will use the platform of international cricket to fully support the objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists,” Joe Root said.
“There has to be equal opportunity and equal rights for all,” he added.
Earlier the West Indies captain, Jason Holder had called for equal treatment of racism, doping and fixing.
The black lives matter movement gained momentum following the death of George Floyd in the US.
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