Voices against racism should be loud: Daren Sammy | Cricket News – Times of India

CHENNAI: When former West Indies captain Daren Sammy called out some of his former colleagues in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team for calling him “Kalu” during his days with the franchise in 2013-14, there was a shadow of racism over the league.
However, Sammy, who is part of the St Lucia Zouks team in the Caribbean Premier League, said that he didn’t hold any grudges against Ishant Sharma for calling him ‘Kalu,’ but felt it was important that he put it on record.

“I don’t hold any grudges. I’ve spoken to Ishant, I consider him like a brother, just like I did back in 2014. But as a person, if I get to know that there are certain racial slurs being used to describe me or there is a possibility of any such comments, I think it is only wise to confront and clarify,” Sammy told TOI during an exclusive chat.
The two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain said that he had moved on from the incident, but making it public was an important step. “To me, it seems sorted and I have decided to move on and Ishant must be moving on too. However, that episode did start a conversation about the way we look at people of colour. I think all these stirred much-needed conversations in the world of cricket. I did identify with some of such problems, and I don’t regret talking about it,” he added.
Sammy calls himself “a proud black man” and he says that the voices against racism should be loud and clear. “Nobody can make me feel that I am any less than others because of colour…Some people are not as vocal as others. So I consciously choose to be their voice and make them be heard,” Sammy said. On the cricket front, he feels ICC should put as much emphasis on anti-racism as it does against corruption. “All the emphasis that ICC puts on anti-corruption should also be put into anti-racism and players should be educated about the subject.