West Indian cricketer says former teammates used racial slur to describe him

The West Indies cricketer Darren Sammy has posted a short video accusing former teammates of openly using a racial slur to talk about him

Sammy, 36, says he was aware of the word at the time, but had no idea about its racial connotations.

In the video, posted on Monday, Sammy asks those who used the term to explain themselves.

“So, recently I discovered a word that I was being called was not what it actually meant I need some answers,” he says.

“So before I start calling out names I need these individuals to reach out and please tell me there’s another meaning to that word and when I was being called it, it was all in love.”

He added: “"Every time I was called it, there was always laughter in the moment. I thought, 'hey, teammates are happy. It must be something funny'. Now, you could understand my frustration and anger when it was pointed out that it wasn't funny at all. It was degrading."

In the video Sammy doesn’t mention any former teammates by name.

In another Instagram post, Sammy, who was born in St Lucia, says he thought the derogatory word meant “stallion” and even signed off his own tweet with the term when wishing former Indian cricket VVS Laxman happy birthday.

Since posting his report, it has emerged that Indian cricket star Ishant Sharma used the same term to describe Sammy in a picture posted to his Instagram page in 2014.

Sammy is the former captain of West Indies’ Test and one-day sides and is the only cricketer to captain a team to two World T20 titles.

He played for three different sides during his time in the Indian Premier League, from 2013 to 2107.

The all-rounder has been vocal in the Black Lives Matter movement. Last week he urged the International Cricket Council (ICC), as well as all of its member boards, to condemn racism in the sport.

He tweeted: “Right now if the cricket world not standing against the injustice against people of colour after seeing that last video of that foot down the [neck] of my brother, you are also part of the problem.”

“ICC and all the other boards are you guys not seeing what’s happening to ppl like me? Are you not gonna speak against the social injustice against my kind. This is not only about America. This happens every day. #BlackLivesMatter now is not the time to be silent. I wanna hear u.”