‘Racial banter not acceptable’
Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy said black athletes should not have to shrug off degrading words as "banter" after he discovered his nickname in the Indian Premier League had racial connotations.
Earlier this week, Sammy demanded an apology from his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates who called him 'kalu' in 2013 and 2014.
Sammy has dropped the idea of an apology, after hearing that the word can be used as a friendly nickname as well.
But he said "it doesn't take away the fact that certain words that are being used could come across as degrading because of the colour of your skin".
"Why must my people endure 400 years of slavery and still have to adapt? Why is it always the people of colour that have to adapt to oppression?" Sammy told ESPNcricinfo. "Why can't the other side change and see us differently? And just not do it. So, no, you cannot use something that is degrading to the colour of my skin and tell me to take it as banter."
Sammy urged the ICC to raise awareness of the fight against racism, giving it the same attention as its anti-corruption drive.
"We have anti-racism in the code of conduct of the ICC. You hear it every time it has been recited," said Sammy. "But to make it a subject of discussion -- like match-fixing and all these things are a subject that is given special attention."
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