India legend Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday quoted Nelson Mandela's message on the 'power of sport' to affirm his stand against racism as he shared the video posted by ICC on diversity.
Taking to Twitter, Tendulkar quoted Mandela's 'wise words', "Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite the world in a way that little else does."
Nelson Mandela once said,
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 6, 2020
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite the world in a way that little else does.”
Wise words. @icc @LaureusSport pic.twitter.com/qHuphZ3gc3
ICC released the video in the wake of George Floyd's death in the US, which has sparked a huge protest in the country. The ICC shared a clip of the final moments of England's World Cup win from 2019 in which Jofra Archer bowls the highly-dramatic Super Over. "Without diversity, cricket is nothing. Without diversity, you don't get the full picture," the ICC said in a tweet.
ICC's reaction came after several cricketers, including Chris Gayle, spoke against racism in the aftermath of the killing of an African-American man, George Floyd during police custody in Minneapolis, US. A video clip of a police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck minutes before his death triggered massive protests across the globe.
Several sports stars took a stand against racism and sporting federations across the world spoke up against the killing and in support of diversity. T20 World Cup-winning West Indies captain Daren Sammy had questioned the ICC's silence in the days after the killing of George Floyd while urging cricket boards and fellow cricketers to speak up against racism.
@ICC and all the other boards are you guys not seeing what's happening to ppl like me? Are you not gonna speak against the social injustice against my kind. This is not only about America. This happens everyday #BlackLivesMatter now is not the time to be silent. I wanna hear u (sic)," Sammy wrote on Twitter.