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Jofra Archer hails support received from England team-mates on race issues
Jofra Archer says the support of his England team-mates around the issue of racial equality is important in an “eye-opening year”, after they and their West Indies counterparts took the knee before play in the first Test yesterday.
Archer is the only black player in England’s Test team. They are wearing Black Lives Matter logos on the collars, like the West Indies, and joined the tourists in taking the knee before a delayed start to an opening day on which just 17.4 overs were possible.
West Indies players also raised their right fists, on which they were wearing a black glove, in a move their assistant coach Roddy Estwick said was a bid to be “different” to other sportsmen.
“It was nice to be supported,” said Archer in Sky Sports’s new “Zone”, which allows the broadcaster to conduct socially distanced interviews with players at the biosecure Test match.
“This year has been an eye-opener, not to a lot of people in the black community, but to everyone else. Obviously we knew what was going on. We live in a time now where everything is being recorded and a lot of people might not know that was happening up until this year. Any support around the matters going on is much appreciated really.”
Michael Holding, the legendary West Indies quick, gave an impassioned plea to change attitudes around race in a moving segment on Sky that also included testimony from Ebony Rainford-Brent, the first black woman to play for England, about her experience in the game.
Archer believes Holding’s words were vital, but that the Jamaican did not let on the full extent of the racism he experienced. “It [talking] is the key,” he said. “To be honest he probably experienced a lot worse than what he let on yesterday. Back in those times it was obviously a lot worse than now.
“The incidents now might be through and far between, but back then he probably woke up to it and ended his day with it as well.
“We will never really understand the full extent of what him and some of his team-mates went through. As long as everyone is a bit vigilant to what is going on, and puts a stop to it.”
Archer has been selected alongside fellow paceman Mark Wood for the first time, at the expense of Stuart Broad, who has 485 Test wickets. Archer said it would not simply be a pace race between him and Wood, and that he could not quite believe he had been selected.
“Obviously we lost a day of cricket to the weather yesterday, and as long as we get the wickets it doesn’t matter how fast we bowl,” he said.
“I still don’t know how I got the nod over him [Broad], I’m still a bit confused by it today.
“I’m glad to be given the opportunity and hope I get the chance to show why I was picked.”
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