Racism needs to be kicked out of sport, it's not 2007 anymore, states Jofra Archer
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English pacer Jofra Archer, who has been subject to racist abuse in the past, believes that the world is changing and that it's time for people to kick racism completely out of sport. Archer also stated that he sees himself as a role model for British West Indians who aspire to play for England.
While authorities and boards, over the course of the last few years, have been trying their best to kick racism completely out of the sport, there, unfortunately, still exists a small minority of people who pick on and hurl abuses at the players for the colour of their skin. But with the culture within teams, across all sports and countries, as diverse as ever, now in 2019, English quick Jofra Archer believes that it's high time that racism is completely eliminated from sports altogether.
"The world's changing. It's becoming more multicultural. A lot of people have accepted it for what it is. I think people have to accept it. Times have changed, it's not 2007 any more," Archer told Daily Mail, reported News18.
Earlier this year in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, two fans were seen hurling abuses at Archer, chanting 'Jofra, show us your passport'. The duo was immediately evicted from the stadium and Archer shed light on the incident, stating that it was the first time he'd seen people get evicted from a cricket stadium. He also shed light on another incident which involved Ben Stokes.
"I was aware what the guys were saying -— something about my passport -— but I blanked them. It was only later that Rooty (Joe Root the England captain) said the guys got ejected.
"It was the first time I'd seen someone get ejected from a ground, because there were some abusive fans when we played Pakistan at Trent Bridge (heckling Ben Stokes)," Archer said.
Despite his World Cup heroics, Archer has revealed that he still goes unrecognized on the street, with people often mistaking him to be a footballer, but asserted that going under the radar is one of the beauties of the sport of Cricket, at least in England.
"Not many England fans knew who I was anyway, so if they saw me in the street they probably thought I was a footballer, or something. I guess that was the beauty of it, being able to go under the radar," the 24-year-old said.
Hailing from Barbados, Archer is the second cricketer, after Chris Jordan, in this decade from the Caribbean Islands to represent England and the pacer believes that players like him are an inspiration for young British West Indians aspiring to play for England.
"It doesn't really matter where you're born. If you know that cricket's what you want to do, you never know where you'll end up. I didn't know my dreams would come true and I'd end up playing cricket for England. If it happens for me, it can happen for anyone".
