• Darren Sammy said he was racially abused by fellow Sunrisers Hyderabad team-mates during his time with the IPL team in 2013 and 2014.
• Screenshots emerged earlier this year of Indian pace bowler Ishant Sharma referring to Sammy with the K-word used to degrade black people by some in India.
• Sri Lankan bowling all-rounder Thisara Perera was also referred to by the same K-word, which was also used to degrade people of darker complexion.

Former West Indian skipper Darren Sammy said deeper discussions on racism in cricket were needed, following his own experiences with racist abuse during his playing time at the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In January, Sammy revealed that he and Sri Lankan Thisara Perera were racially abused by Sunrisers Hyderabad team-mates during their time with the IPL team in 2013 and 2014.

Sammy said at first he thought the word that was used to refer to him by, "K**u", was a term of endearment and that it meant he was a strong man or a stallion.

But he later learnt that it was a word used by some people in India to degrade black people or people of darker complexion. He said there was always laughter around him whenever that word was repeatedly used.

Social media screenshots also showed a picture posted on Indian paceman Ishant Sharma's verified Instagram account of himself, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sammy and Dale Steyn with the caption: "me, bhuvi, k**uu, gun sunrisers."

In a deep conversation on the ICC's Interviews Inside Out with former Windies bowler-turned commentator Ian Bishop, Sammy said the current #BlackLivesMatter movement, fuelled by George Floyd's death at the hands of a white US policeman, had brought up the pressing need to address racism in the sport.

"It's a needed discussion," he said.

"With all that's happened in the world after the death of George Floyd, it has triggered a revolution, a movement for equality and for people of colour.

"In all of that, one of the videos I watched brought to my realisation that a certain word that was being called to me was something that could be deemed degrading, because of the colour of my skin.

"When I reflect, six or seven years ago, when it was being done, I didn't feel that it was degrading. That was because my understanding of the word was relating to me being a strong stallion - myself and Thisara Perera, who had a similar complexion as myself.

"When I found out what the word actually meant, I decided to seek confirmation and dialogue as to whether, when it was being used, was it truly from a place of love and not being degrading to the colour of my skin."

Sammy said cricketers needed to be educated about some harmful language they may use or have used to refer to other people and fellow players, whether they meant harm or not.

"If there is any word that could be deemed degrading or even to the point of people accusing you of being racist, it is not to be used," said Sammy.

"It's time to start the education process of people who do certain things, even though it’s cultural and they think they mean no harm.

"I decided to talk about it and to have a discussion with the people that were using those words and they’ve explained to me that they didn’t mean any malice or try to degrade me.

"I also pointed out that, if it could mean [something degrading] in any way, shape or form, you shouldn't have used it.

"In that dressing room, it was only two of us that were of my particular complexion and to whom they used that word. That’s been a learning experience for me and I’m happy we are having this discussion where we could air out [grievances] and come up with measures to eradicate that from cricket."

- Compiled by Sibusiso Mjikeliso