ISSUE
Friday, October 10, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 80
An Auckland based peace group is accusing the Black Caps team management of “cowardly behaviour” on their recent tour of Sri Lanka.
The Global Peace and Justice in Auckland (GPJA) said this week that the New Zealand cricket team had "cowered in silence, complicit in the oppression of the Tamil population."
Group spokesman John Minto said the Black Caps had reneged on an agreement where "Black Caps would publicly and symbolically facilitate the transfer of milk powder products from Fonterra in Sri Lanka to World Vision for the victims of war in the military camps”.
Minto told TVNZ that the Black Caps backed out "after team manager Dave Currie refused to allow his team to take part in any humanitarian gesture”.
He said the New Zealand Cricket and player representatives had agreed they would do what they could without getting involved in the politics, and with this in mind no protests were organised by the expatriate Tamils against the team leaving for Sri Lanka.
Following the backdown by the cricketers, the GPJA organized a peaceful demonstration in Auckland city to highlight the plight of Tamils living in refugee camps in Sri Lanka.
“Global Peace and Justice Auckland is angry the Black Caps cricket team has bailed out on humanitarian support for the 280,000 Tamil people incarcerated in military camps following the recent civil war,” Minto said.
He said before the cricketers left they met with representatives of the New Zealand Tamil community, along with GPJA, where the team was requested to use its high public profile to help keep the international spotlight on the humanitarian crisis facing the Tamil population.
“NZ Cricket and player reps agreed they would do what they could without getting involved in the politics (which they were never requested to do). Subsequently agreement was reached between Fonterra, World Vision and representatives of the New Zealand Tamil community whereby the Black Caps would publicly and symbolically facilitate the transfer of milk powder products from Fonterra in Sri Lanka to World Vision for the victims of war in the military camps where there is an on-going humanitarian catastrophe,” Minto said on Tamil Net.
“The Blackcaps then got cold feet with Dave Currie (NZ Cricket manager with the Black Caps) refusing to allow the cricketers to take part.
Currie could not be contacted by Indian Weekender but he is reported to have told the GPJA that he feared for the safety of the players.
“If helping feed starving people with milk powder is going to compromise player safety then what are the Blackcaps doing in Sri Lanka in the first place?
”The Black Caps have lost on the field in Sri Lanka but their behaviour off the field has been far worse.”
An Auckland based peace group is accusing the Black Caps team management of “cowardly behaviour” on their recent tour of Sri Lanka.
The Global Peace and Justice in Auckland (GPJA) said this week that the New Zealand cricket team had "cowered in silence, complicit in the oppression of the Tamil...
An Auckland based peace group is accusing the Black Caps team management of “cowardly behaviour” on their recent tour of Sri Lanka.
The Global Peace and Justice in Auckland (GPJA) said this week that the New Zealand cricket team had "cowered in silence, complicit in the oppression of the Tamil population."
Group spokesman John Minto said the Black Caps had reneged on an agreement where "Black Caps would publicly and symbolically facilitate the transfer of milk powder products from Fonterra in Sri Lanka to World Vision for the victims of war in the military camps”.
Minto told TVNZ that the Black Caps backed out "after team manager Dave Currie refused to allow his team to take part in any humanitarian gesture”.
He said the New Zealand Cricket and player representatives had agreed they would do what they could without getting involved in the politics, and with this in mind no protests were organised by the expatriate Tamils against the team leaving for Sri Lanka.
Following the backdown by the cricketers, the GPJA organized a peaceful demonstration in Auckland city to highlight the plight of Tamils living in refugee camps in Sri Lanka.
“Global Peace and Justice Auckland is angry the Black Caps cricket team has bailed out on humanitarian support for the 280,000 Tamil people incarcerated in military camps following the recent civil war,” Minto said.
He said before the cricketers left they met with representatives of the New Zealand Tamil community, along with GPJA, where the team was requested to use its high public profile to help keep the international spotlight on the humanitarian crisis facing the Tamil population.
“NZ Cricket and player reps agreed they would do what they could without getting involved in the politics (which they were never requested to do). Subsequently agreement was reached between Fonterra, World Vision and representatives of the New Zealand Tamil community whereby the Black Caps would publicly and symbolically facilitate the transfer of milk powder products from Fonterra in Sri Lanka to World Vision for the victims of war in the military camps where there is an on-going humanitarian catastrophe,” Minto said on Tamil Net.
“The Blackcaps then got cold feet with Dave Currie (NZ Cricket manager with the Black Caps) refusing to allow the cricketers to take part.
Currie could not be contacted by Indian Weekender but he is reported to have told the GPJA that he feared for the safety of the players.
“If helping feed starving people with milk powder is going to compromise player safety then what are the Blackcaps doing in Sri Lanka in the first place?
”The Black Caps have lost on the field in Sri Lanka but their behaviour off the field has been far worse.”
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