Sport has always been about more than the game. There are the colourful characters; the inspiring stories; the personal struggles; and, every now and then, enough behind-the-scenes drama to spin into an international furore.
Which is exactly what happened when Proteas star batsman Quinton De Kock defied an 11th-hour instruction from Cricket South Africa (CSA) that all players take the knee, a globally recognised gesture, before the start of their games in the T20 World Cup in Dubai in support of the fight against racism.
De Kock’s stand divided the nation. He’s racist, some cried. Shame on you, CSA, for forcing them just before a match, others said.