T20 World Cup 2021: Michael Holding lauds Team India for taking the knee ahead of Pakistan clash

History was scripted in Dubai on October 24 as Pakistan defeated India for the very first time in a World Cup match. Both teams were kick-starting their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign with this game and some quality cricket was on display. While the Men in Blue put up a commendable fight, the Pakistan side proved to be too good for them in the end.

It has to be noted that players of both teams expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) ahead of the game. While the Indian team followed the tradition and took a knee to show their support, Pakistan team expressed solidarity by putting their hands on their hearts. The gestures of both teams were lauded by many.

Former West Indies pacer and commentator Michael Holding was also pleased with the scenes in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.  Holding, who has been one of the prominent faces of the global BLM movement, welcomed both teams’ decisions and said that he was glad to see such things happening.

I was glad by India and Pakistan team’s gesture: Michael Holding

“A couple of people messaged to say that India took the knee and Pakistan put their hands on their hearts which apparently is what they’ve done consistently in recent times. You’re right I didn’t see it (the game). I was glad to hear and actually messaged Ravi (Shastri, India coach) to confirm what took place,” Holding told Cricbuzz.

For the unversed, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called the act an ‘anti-racism gesture’ without mentioning BLM. At the same time, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was open to offering support to those who want to make a statement against racism.

Speaking of how the high-voltage Indo-Pak game panned out, Pakistan unsurprisingly invited India to bat after winning the toss at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. While Shaheen Afridi was Pakistan’s stand-out performer with the ball, Kohli slammed a fighting half-century as India posted 151/7.

Pakistan’s chase couldn’t have been smoother as skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan batted exceptionally on a challenging track. The duo added 152 runs for the first wicket, taking their side to a 10-wicket triumph.

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