Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

IPL: Sammy loses cool over racist word

Last updated on: June 08, 2020 07:49 IST

Darren Sammy

IMAGE: Darren Sammy in action during the Indian Premier League in 2014. Photograph: BCCI

Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy lost his cool on Saturday as he learnt the meaning of the racially derisive word 'Kalu', a jibe which was directed at him during his Indian Premier League stint with the SunRisers Hyderabad.

The former Windies T20 World Cup-winning skipper said he along with Sri Lanka player Thisara Perera were subjected to 'Kalu' chants when they played for the SunRisers Hyderabad.

Sammy said he thought the word meant strong black man, but after he discovered the true meaning of the world, he is angry.

'I just learnt what that Kalu meant when I played for Sunrisers in the IPL. They called me and Perera by that name. I thought it meant strong stallion. My previous post tells me something different and I am angry,' Sammy said in an Instagram story on Saturday.

 

Sammy is a vocal supporter of the protests in the United States that erupted after George Floyd's death at the hands of the police.

On Tuesday, June 2, Sammy appealed to the International Cricket Council and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and 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 every day,' Sammy tweeted.

'#BlackLivesMatter now is not the time to be silent. I wanna hear u.'

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.