Watch: Australian TV host ridicules Team India for taking the knee and ignoring caste-based atrocities

Andrew Bolt, a Sky New Australia host who does a show called Bolt Report took on the Indian cricket team for taking the knee against racism. He called it a mere ‘fashion’ show and ridiculed the stand for being blinded to caste-based atrocities taking place in the country since ages. 

In the segment called One Last Thing, Bolt says, “I laughed yesterday in bitterness as the Indian cricket team took the knee yesterday as is the fashion these days before their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan.” He then went on to say, “This is from a team representing a country that should first fix its caste system before making big international statements.”

In the show, Bolt further goes on to discuss how the Hindu Varna system is discriminatory towards the lower caste Shudras and Untouchables.

It was decided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the Virat Kohli led side would take the knee in its matches in the World Cup, which was previously not done. Taking the knee has been a big topic debate and not all teams have shared the same sentiment about the matter. 

Cricket South Africa’s stance on making it mandatory for all players to take the knee the subsequent Quinton de Kock saga brought the topic in further limelight. The senior SA player and one of the best white-ball batsmen in the modern times chose to opt out of a game rather than taking the knee for his fellow team members. However, he issued an apology the very next day explaining himself and then was inducted back into the team.