Racially abusive cricket fans risk lengthy ban
SYDNEY • Cricket Australia (CA) yesterday warned it could slap indefinite bans on any fan found to have racially abused the visiting India players during the third Test in Sydney.
CA has launched an investigation with New South Wales Police following complaints by bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj on Saturday and Sunday, which led to the ejection of six fans from the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Interim chief executive Nick Hockley said: “If something has been found, we will act strongly. There are sanctions including anything up to not being permitted to come into any cricket match under Cricket Australia’s jurisdiction for an indefinite period of time.”
Governing body International Cricket Council added that it was “incredibly disappointed” with the incidents at the SCG, while Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack insisted “there is no place for racism in Australia”.
Revealing that a probe was under way, Hockley said: “We have expressed our concern and our regret that Mohammed Siraj felt the need to go and report in the way that he did.”
India clung on to reach 334 for five at the close, still 73 runs adrift, leaving the series locked at 1-1 ahead of the final Test on Friday and officials are hopeful that there will be no repeat of the distasteful scenes in Brisbane.
Veteran Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin has claimed it has been an ongoing problem for visiting teams, saying that he had been on the end of “nasty” abuse across four tours to the country, with Sydney the worst.
“This has been a continual thing at Sydney, I have personally experienced it as well,” he said.
The Australia team had formed a “barefoot circle” ahead of the four-Test series against the cricketing powerhouse to demonstrate opposition to racism and celebrate Aboriginal culture, yet the problem remains deep-rooted.
Australian Test star Usman Khawaja has previously said he was abused so much growing up he refused to support the national side, and claimed racism played a role in selections for the team.
The batsman, who immigrated as a child, battled the odds to become Australia’s first Pakistan-born national player, but admitted he faced plenty of discrimination along the way.
“Getting sledged by opposition players and their parents was the norm. Some of them said it just quietly enough for only me to hear,” he said.
All-rounder Dan Christian has also been a victim, mostly from online trolls, revealing last year he was targeted for speaking up about “casual racism” in cricket.
One of just six indigenous players to represent Australia at international level, he said it was not “as in your face as you might see elsewhere around the world” but that “it is definitely there”.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS