On Sunday, the Indian cricket team was confronted with an unexpected case of racist remarks while playing their 3rd Test in Australia. The events that unfolded led to the halting of the game and even the removal of those spectators who had allegedly made the comments.
This was not the first time that racist slurs were hurled at the players during this particular Test series. The players, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bhumrah endured the same during their match on Saturday but had chosen to ignore it so that the game could proceed smoothly.
However, since the incident was only later reported to the match officials, no action could be taken against those responsible for the unruly behaviour.
What Took Place On Sunday?
During the 86th over of Australia’s second innings, Siraj was found making his way towards the umpires and the stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane to report the alleged racist abuse from the crowd.
The slurs were even originating from the same section of the crowd as the previous day. It was later reported that words like ‘Brown Dog’ and ‘Big Monkey’ were among the bigoted remarks thrown at him.
In response to the situation, the match was halted for 10 minutes so that the stadium security and the New South Wales police could remove the perpetrators from the crowd.
Around six people, who were allegedly guilty of the same, were immediately thrown out of the stadium so that the match could resume.
Cricket Australia and the New South Wales police have launched an investigation into the matter, and several of the spectators were interviewed by the police.
The unacceptable incident sparked a series of conversations online, and all those belonging to the cricket fraternity spoke up against the Australian crowd’s atrocious behaviour.
Today's incident at the SCG was shameful and unacceptable. We play cricket to entertain and no sportsman or individual should ever have to face this kind of situation. No matter our race or nationalities we must respect one another and unite in the fight against racism! https://t.co/ikzYpfnQFP
— K L Rahul (@klrahul) January 10, 2021
Read More: Fake ‘Wine & Dine’ With Indian Cricket Team Sells Tickets Worth Rs. 30k
Racial abuse is absolutely unacceptable. Having gone through many incidents of really pathetic things said on the boundary Iines, this is the absolute peak of rowdy behaviour. It's sad to see this happen on the field.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 10, 2021
SPORT is meant to UNITE us, not DIVIDE us.
Cricket never discriminates. The bat & ball recognizes talent of the person holding them – not race, colour, religion or nationality. Those who don’t understand this have NO PLACE in a sporting arena.@ICC @BCCI @CricketAus #racism
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 10, 2021
How Prevalent Is Racism In Cricket
In a shameful moment for the cricket community, an incident like this brought about discussions on the intrinsic nature of racism in the sport.
Under the intensity and passion for the game, spectators are often found making comments as such, but the players are made to consider it as noiseless banter.
Bigoted and racist comments often undermine the integrity and self-respect of these international players. When situations are not attended to or neglected, it affects their focus, mental health and dignity.
It is important to remember that such racism is prevalent all over the world and is not only found in Australia. Both players and crowds alike are responsible for perpetuating such discriminatory behaviour in the game.
Harbhajan Singh allegedly calling former Australian player Andrew Symonds a monkey, a section of the crowd in Manchester singing a racist song about English player Jofra Archer, and the use of racist slurs against West Indies player Darren Sammy during IPL are some of the many cases of racism in cricket.
There is a growing need for these situations to be brought into the limelight and dealt with stringently. It should no longer be tolerated under any circumstances and people must be more mindful of the remarks they make.
Moving forward, it is essential that players and spectators treat the game and each other with respect, sincerity and a spirit of sportsmanship.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Times Now News, Times of India, Indian Express
Find the Blogger: @MalavikaMenon28
This post is tagged under: cricket, Indian team, sports team, Australian team, Ind vs Aus, racism, discrimination, what happened to Mohammed Siraj, what were the racist comments made against the Indian team, New South Wales police, Cricket Australia, ICC, BCCI, sports racism, Virat Kohli, the prevalence of racism in sport, Sydney Cricket Ground, what happened at SCG on Sunday, international cricket, bigotry, injustice, Harbhajan Singh, Darren Sammy, Andrew Symonds, Jofra Archer, virat kohli, sachin tendulkar, kl rahul
Other Recommendations:
How Football & Cricket Is Slowly Getting Back On Field Post COVID-19 Lockdown
