Nathan Lyon urges players to call out unsavoury crowd abuse, Adam Gilchrist condemns SCG fans for targeting Indian players

Nathan Lyon says there’s nothing funny about being on the receiving end of crowd abuse and wants players to call out offensive behaviour when it happens.

Nathan Lyon believes more cricketers may follow India’s lead and call out “disgusting’’ crowd abuse as tension rises ahead of his 100th Test at the Gabba.

Cricket Australia and NSW police are still investigating claims by Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj he was racially abused on two days of the Sydney Test.

The match stopped briefly as Siraj and the Indian team complained to the umpires, a gesture deemed groundbreaking.

When asked whether the incident may prompt other cricketers to make on-the-spot callouts of offensive crowd behaviour, Lyon said: “It may well do. It’s entirely up to that player and how they have been affected.’’

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“For me there is no room for any racial abuse at any time. People think they are being funny but it can affect people in different ways.

“There is no room for it at all and I think it is quite disgusting to be honest with you.

“I have been on the other end of it copping abuse, whether it is in England, New Zealand or South Africa and there is room for it. As a player you have to try your best to block it out. There is a lot of security around the ground these days so hopefully they can do their job and if there is anyone doing that they can be removed.’’

Nathan Lyon wants players to call out bad crowd behaviour. Picture: AFP

Lyon is excited at the prospect of playing his 100th Test before a Gabba crowd who have always warmed to him and on a wicket which he has traditionally thrived on.

“When I first made my Test debut I thought “how amazing is this?’ and I was very grateful and humbled to play one Test for Australia.

“It’s been very exciting. I look as the 12 other guys who have played 100 Tests for Australia and they are legends in my eyes. I will pinch myself each and every day to see my name up beside those fellows.

“It is pretty amazing. I am pretty excited about this one.’’

There have been some highs and lows. You think of that Adelaide Test match after the passing of Phil Hughes in 2014. That is up there with the biggest highlights of my career. Edgbaston (in 2019) was an amazing high then you go to Leeds and you go to the other end of the ladder. Test cricket is an amazing ride.

“I know when I finish Test cricket I will sit here with a smile on my face and say I gave it my all. This is my 100th. I am far from being done in my eyes. I am hungrier than ever.’’

Gilchrist: Why do we need to abuse and vilify?

- Ben Horne

Adam Gilchrist has praised Mohammed Siraj for his courage and hopes the calling out of ugly abuse at the SCG is a watershed moment in Australian sport.

Cricket Australia’s investigation into allegations spanning three days of the Sydney Test are still ongoing, with Fox Sports releasing a video with muffled audio which some believe supports claims in the Indian media that Siraj was called a “brown dog” by a member of the crowd on day three.

Police and eyewitnesses do not believe six men ejected from the ground on day four were guilty of racial abuse.

Those fans are not under police investigation and it’s likely they may have their tickets refunded.

However, Test great Gilchrist says regardless of whether the investigations prove India’s allegations of racial vilification, the treatment of Siraj has been shameful and shows that abuse of any kind at sporting events should be a relic of the past.

India's Mohammed Siraj speaks to umpire Paul Reiffel as the game was halted after allegedly some remarks were made by the spectators on the fourth day of the SCG Test. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

Gilchrist likened the conjecture over the abuse levelled at Siraj to the Adam Goodes booing scandal, where fans claimed they were targeting the Aboriginal Sydney Swans great because of staging for free kicks rather than his race.

According to Gilchrist, the real issue should not be how the abusive fan defines what they’ve said, but how it’s interpreted by the person targeted.

“Sadly, there’s sections of the public, particularly at sporting events that feel it’s OK to be aggressive and abusive towards touring teams and whether they are specifically thinking they’re being racist – they probably don’t – but once someone is offended it clearly means there is an issue,” said the Fox Cricket front man.

“It draws you back to the Adam Goodes type situation.

“That people will defend it by saying, ‘I wasn’t racially abusing him, I was abusing him for feigning for free kicks’, by way of example.

“But why do we need to abuse and vilify in any respect?

Adam Gilchrist has condemned the abuse directed towards the visiting Indian players. Picture: AAP Image/Scott Barbour

“The performers that we’re so very fortunate to watch at close range, particularly live? Why leave it to chance?

“You could see the look on Siraj’s face that he was clearly upset.

“As a general statement, I’ve always wondered why people going to sporting events of any nature feel that just because they’ve paid money to go and watch gives them the right to abuse participants in any nature, let alone racially vilifying them as has been alleged in this case.”

Fellow Fox Sports commentator and Test great Mike Hussey said Siraj deserved enormous praise for stopping the Test match and reporting his claims.

“I do see it as really courageous and you have to remember, this guy is playing just his second Test match as well,” said Hussey.

“It would have been very easy for him to just stay quiet, and just cop it and allow those people to get away with alleged, inappropriate comments. So yeah it does take courage and good on him for standing up and making a stand like he has.”

Hussey said racism aside, abuse of any kind at sporting events was a poor example for children.

“There’s so many kids at the cricket. We’re teaching our kids that’s not the sort of behaviour we want our children growing up knowing as well,” he said.

Gilchrist said he agreed with comments made by Ashwin and Australian coach Justin Langer that the nation’s ongoing problem with racism comes back to education.

“I thought Ravichandran made a really good point where he said he thinks he thinks it comes back to upbringings,” said Gilchrist.

“I can’t assume to know exactly what he meant, but my interpretation of that is that perhaps it’s about education that what might have previously been acceptable, or present in society and various cultures (is not anymore).

Indian players look towards a section of the crowd where an alleged racial comment was directed towards Siraj. Picture: Getty Images

“Clearly times have changed on the back of awareness and a stronger education to the new generations that are coming through.

“I think that’s a really pertinent point he makes.

“I thought you pay the money for the experience of being at a live event to watch the skills on offer and the talent of the participants.

“I understand also that often it’s alcohol that can take effect and create situations … but if comments are being made to a visitor to our country then they need to be taken seriously and I think that’s already happening and the appropriate measures are being taken to investigate and to get to the bottom of the individual scenarios.

“But it only enhances the need to continue the discussion around this issue and raise awareness and educate.”

Originally published as Nathan Lyon urges players to call out unsavoury crowd abuse, Adam Gilchrist condemns SCG fans for targeting Indian players