Tino Best: England is a very racial place, never liked playing club cricket there

Anti-racism movement and worldwide protests have been on demonstration since the killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. Many sportspersons have taken part in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement with several cricketers also opening up on racial discrimination in the world of sports. While Daren Sammy was one of the first elite cricketers to have opened up about racism in cricket, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo also weighed in their opinions on the issue.

West Indies’ Tino La Bertram Best recalled facing racial discrimination while he was playing club cricket in England. While Tino said he never experienced it at the international level, he was always targeted in England when he used to play club cricket while adding it was one of the reasons he never liked to play cricket in England.

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“I never really experienced it at the international level but for sure playing club cricket in England. I was always targeted there. The umpires never gave decisions in our favour. I used to get guys out but the umpires used to call it a late No-ball. Late as in very late...I knock the stumps out & then suddenly they were like no-ball. I used to be like are you serious, and they were like, do you want to get in a fight? Then leave…So that is one of the reasons why I never really liked to play club cricket in England because of the umpires and other teams,” said Tino during a conversation with Dr Yash Kashikar on his Instagram Live show ‘Say Yash To Sports’.

“They target you because it’s an opportunity for them to target someone they see on the TV. So, when they should be celebrating it like ‘wow, Tino Best is playing in my league’. They got aggressive to the point that they want to beat you out and they cursed at me when I got them out.

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“So, I would go and play club cricket anywhere in the world but not in England...it’s a very racial place & stuff,” he added.

Tino, who hit the limelight for his raw pace, further said that players playing club cricket in England wanted to beat him up for bowling fast.

“I know you will hear stories of guys saying that I was the instigator but it’s one black person against every single white person at the ground. So how could I be the instigator?

“I used to come to the ground & bowl quickand guys would have wanted to beat me up for bowling fast. I was always in a situation where if I did not have a strong team they would have probably lynched my ass.

“But, you know I tell everyone Tino La Bertram Best is a different type of black man. I was a free black man. Don’t come to me. If you ever disrespect me. I am going to hurt you,” he further said.

The West Indies quickie further extended his support to Daren Sammy and Chris Gayle for voicing their opinions on racism as the 38-year-old said he was always targeted because he bowled quick and played for the Windies.

“So what Darren (Sammy) & Chris (Gayle) is saying is absolutely true. Also, I would never like to go at people’s ethnicity or race but, I was always targeted because I was fast & I played for West-Indies,” he said while adding "I feel whenever anyone faces racism, call it out, speak about it and don’t fear about the consequences."