'Will be messaging those people, you know who you are': Darren Sammy on facing racism while playing for SRH in IPL
Since the death of George Floyd, many athletes have come forward to support and talk about the racism they faced on and off the field. Talking about one such incident is former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, who has claimed that he was subjected to racial comments while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Darren Sammy , File Photo
Since the death of George Floyd, many athletes have come forward to support and talk about the racism they faced on and off the field. Talking about one such incident is former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, who has claimed that he was subjected to racial comments while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Sammy released a video on Instagram, saying that when he got to know the meaning of the word he and Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera were called in the Sunrisers Hyderabad dressing room, it did not feel good.
“I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people, I have embraced all dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people,” Sammy said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
“This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for SunRisers Hyderabad, I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people,” he added.
Sammy had represented SRH in 2013 and 2014 and said that at the time he was being called with the word, he didn’t know the meaning. He said every time he was called that his teammates used to laugh.
“I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny,” Sammy said.
“Now, I realise it was degrading, I will be texting you guys and I will ask you as to when you called me with that name, did you all mean it in any bad way or form? I have had great memories in all my dressing rooms, so all those who used to you call me with that word, think about it, let’s have a conversation, if it was in a bad way then I would be really disappointed,” he added.
Sammy has been a vocal supporter of the protests that are going on in the United States over the death of an African-American man. The cricketer had also made an appeal to the ICC and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and racism.