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- Proteas wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock explained why he neither took the knee nor raised his fist at the start of play of the first Test against the West Indies.
- De Kock scored his sixth Test ton, but his first in nearly two years, helping put the Proteas in a strong position at the end of day two.
- De Kock also explained why he celebrated his landmarks in the way that he did.
Proteas wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock chose not to disclose the reasons as to why he did not take the knee nor raise his fist at the start of play of the ongoing Test against the West Indies in St Lucia.
De Kock was the only player who stood at attention when the Black Lives Matter movement was observed on the first day.
The rest of his teammates either took the knee or raised their fists before the start of play.
De Kock, who scored a rumbustious 141* that guided South Africa to a more than competitive first innings total of 322 before reducing the West Indies to 82/4 in their second innings, said he was led by his own opinion.
"I'll keep my reasons to myself and it is my own personal opinion," De Kock said.
"Like Lungi said, it is everyone's decision and no one is forced to do something and that's the way I see things."
In raising his landmarks during the second day's play, De Kock celebrated by raising what was a "W" sign with a missing right ring finger.
De Kock said the celebration was inspired by one of his friends who are part of the Rockwood Rhino conservation group who had his right ring finger shot off.
"There's a whole bunch of us and there's some stuff I'm doing with Rockwood with regards to rhino conservation," De Kock said.
"On one night, we had a braai and we started talking. His finger had been shot off and it is quite a limelight in our group of friends.
"I said if I get to a accolade on the field, I'll do that for him. I couldn't believe it happen the first time, but I think that group will be buzzing once I see my phone."
