Australian cricket coach Justin Langer is hoping retired AFL champion Adam Goodes will address his players about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Key points:
- Australian cricket coach Justin Langer says his team needs to be clear about the issue of racial discrimination before taking public action
- Langer says the way for his team to represent the issue with respect may be to take a knee, or some other approach
- The coach says he will seek further advice from Aboriginal Elders and others who have experienced racial discrimination
West Indies great Michael Holding was critical of Australia and England for not taking a knee during their recent white-ball series.
During England’s prior Test series against the West Indies, both teams kneeled and clenched their fists before play in support of the global movement against racism.
“If you don’t want to recognise the movement and don’t want to get involved, just say that, don’t come up with lame excuses,” Holding said at the time.
Langer said Australian cricket wants to condemn racial discrimination in the strongest and most effective way and will seek further advice from those who experienced it.
The final year of Goodes’s storied AFL career with the Sydney Swans was marred when he was continuously booed by crowds.
In the years leading up to that season, the two-time Brownlow medallist had been vocal in speaking out about racism within Australian culture.
Prominent broadcaster Stan Grant is also on Cricket Australia’s wishlist of speakers.
Langer said he wanted to understand the history of taking a knee and what it meant to people.
“I want to hear it and what the best way forward is.
“Whether it’s taking a knee, we’ll come up with that in the next little bit. It’s certainly front of mind at the moment.
“Now we’re working through talking to Aboriginal Elders, talking to people, hopefully like Adam Goodes, Stan Grant.
Langer has never met the 372-game Swans legend, but fellow former Australian cricket icon Adam Gilchrist has.
“I don’t know Adam [Goodes] personally, I know Adam Gilchrist knows him well, and tells me he’s one of the greatest people he’s ever met in his life,” Langer said.
“Having watched Adam’s documentary, I was blown away by that.
“So hopefully … there’s a lot of great people in Australia who I’m sure will help the Australian cricket team represent racial discrimination with the respect and dignity that it deserves.”
Goodes has stayed away from the AFL community since retiring in 2015, but his experiences recaptured the public’s attention last year when two documentaries focusing on the end to his career were released.
AAP/ABC
