Jofra Archer urges victims to speak out against racism

LONDON: England fast bowler Jofra Archer has urged victims of racial abuse to speak out following the death of an unarmed black man in police custody in the United States.

There have been protest demonstrations after video footage showed a white police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for nearly nine minutes before he died on May 25, triggering outrage and backlash across the world.

“I’m very glad the Black Lives Matter campaign has got as vocal as this,” Archer wrote in his column for a British newspaper.

“As an individual, I’ve always been one for speaking out, especially if something bothers you. My personal view is that you should never keep things bottled up, because racism is not okay.”

READ MORE: Cricketers support ’emotional’ Archer after racial abuse

Archer has himself been a victim after he was racially abused by a fan during a test against New Zealand in November last year

Archer has played seven tests and 14 one-day internationals for England and has lauded the team for its diversity. “We all live in the country and if you are English, you have as much right to play as anyone else,” he added.

“There was a picture … of me, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid hugging in celebration during the 2019 World Cup. It told you everything you need to know about our team.”