Australian cricket team makes history by taking a knee before Test as fans slam them for being woke

Australian Test cricketers have taken a knee for the first time ever just ahead of the first ball in the series opener against the West Indies in Perth, but many fans have slammed the gesture as ‘woke‘ and ‘virtue-signalling’. 

Fans flooded Cricket Australia’s post about the opening game of the Test summer at Optus Stadium with comments about wanting the national team to focus on cricket, not politics

It comes as public interest and sentiment towards the men’s sides has plummeted, with the stadium looking almost completely empty as the game began.  

Typically, the side has taken a knee when an opponent has done it, in a show of support and respect to their opponents; and given the West Indies again decided to take a knee in defiance of racism, the Aussie men have done the same. 

Aussie players David Warner (second from left) and Usman Khawaja (no. 1) take a knee prior to the first ball of the Test at Optus Stadium in Perth against the West Indies

‘We’ve consulted with the West Indies team, who confirmed they will be taking a knee,’ a Cricket Australia spokesperson told The Age earlier this week.

‘As we’ve done in the West Indies and during the recent warm-up games we will support the West Indies team and take a knee alongside them.’ 

After singing the national anthems, both teams took a knee; with many West Indian players also raising their fists in a ‘black power’ salute.

But many fans considered it a token gesture that has been overused and lost its power in the fight against racism, which is clearly still so prevalent across the world in spite of the gesture. 

Kemar Roach takes a knee and raises his fist in a ‘black power’ salute prior to the first ball of the game

‘Get back to me when the players are focusing on cricket and not boring, self-righteous, political platitudes,’ one wrote on Cricket Australia’s Twitter post. 

‘Are the plonkers taking a virtue-signalling knee?’ another asked, while many said the ‘political wokeness’ was turning them off the men’s game.

That being said, many agreed that it was not the only reason why sentiment towards the team has plummeted, saying it had been ‘poorly run for some time’. 

Earlier, the two sides also participated in a Barefoot Circle, as a show of respect to Indigenous peoples, with Optus Stadium on Noongar country. 

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According to Cricket Australia, the barefoot circle is a cricket centric way for players and teams to take a moment prior to matches to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, connect to each other as opponents and pay respect to the country.

This is done barefoot as a way to connect to country, but also a moment to reflect that we are all common ground.