Ngidis comments were not taken well by former wicketkeeper Rudi Steyn, who shared the article on his facebook page with Dippenaar and Symcox expressing their criticism in the comments section
Lungi Ngidi
Former South African cricketers Pat Symcox and Boeta Dippenaar have slammed Lungi Ngidi for his support for Black Lives Matter movement, saying the pacer should also speak up against the attacks on white farmers in the country. Ngidi, 24, had said that the racism issue is "something that we need to take very seriously and like the rest of the world is doing, make the stand."
However, Ngidi's comments were not taken well by former wicketkeeper Rudi Steyn, who shared the article on his facebook page with Dippenaar and Symcox expressing their criticism in the comments section. "I believe the Proteas should make a stand against racism, but if they stand up for Black Lives Matter while ignoring the way white farmers are daily being slaughtered like animals, they have lost my vote," wrote Styen, who has played three Tests and one ODI for South Africa.
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Dippenaar, who has featured in 38 Tests and 107 ODIs for South Africa between 1999 and 2007, said: "I am afraid to say "Black Lives Matter" have become nothing more than leftist political movement. I would suggest that Lungi Ngidi listens a bit more to likes of Thomas Sowell, Larry Elder, Walter Williams and Milton Friedman. "All lives matter. If you want me to stand shoulder to shoulder with you Lungi then stand shoulder to shoulder with me with regards to farm attacks," he added.
Former off-spinner Symcox, who played 20 Tests and 80 ODIs for South Africa, too was scathing in his criticism. "What nonsense is this. He must take his own stand if he wishes. Stop trying to get the Proteas involved in his belief," Symcox said.
However, the South African Cricketers' Association has backed Ngidi, terming the comments made by the former players as "unfair". "At SACA, we support the concept of the athlete activist. We support Lungi in exercising his right to express his support for the BLM movement and we believe the unfair criticism directed at him undermines that right," CEO Andrew Breetzke told ESPNCricinfo.
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