Third Test: South African players say Australia is being hypocritical in complaining about abuse from fans
SOUTH African Test stars have lashed out at Australia and coach Darren Lehmann for complaints over abuse of player’s families.
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SOUTH African Test stars have lashed out at Australia and coach Darren Lehmann for complaints over abuse of player’s families.
Lehmann said the behaviour has been “disgraceful”, admitting that Australian fans can be just as bad, but insisting that people must stop with the attacks on players’ families.
Current and former South African players, however, hit back at Lehmann.
“Correct Darren! Fully agree,” former keeper Mark Boucher wrote on Twitter. “But ... start cleaning up your own country first! The personal, racial abuse I’ve witnessed in Aus was ridiculous. U guys don’t live in a glass house! Why the fuss all of a sudden? Seems fine when the shoe is on the other foot.”
Graeme Smith claimed he didn’t “condone any of it, but blimey I have never seen an Aussie team whinge and whine like this”.
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Morne Morkel also criticised Australian fans.
Cricket Australia has taken complaints about crowd behaviour in South Africa to the top with chairman David Peever taking it up with Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani.
The Australians have called on authorities to ban fans who misbehave.
Coach Darren Lehmann described the crowd’s behaviour as “disgusting” after elements of the Cape Town crowd abused players families and wives.
Chief executive James Sutherland also entered the debate.
“We are extremely disappointed that a small number of fans have directed such offensive and inappropriate behavour towards our players and members of their families,” Sutherland said.
“Our Chairman David Peever, who is in Cape Town, has taken the matter up directly with relevant CSA officials, including President, Chris
Nenzani.
“We acknowledge that CSA is taking steps to ensure incidents like those yesterday are not repeated and we have encouraged the strongest possible action in response to such behaviour.
“People who behave in such a manner should not be welcome at cricket grounds anywhere in the world, and together with the ICC and all member countries, we strongly endorse a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour by fans.”
Cricket South Africa has boosted security at the ground and acting chief executive Thabang Moroe released a statement on Saturday condemning the fans after the first days of the game in Cape Town saw a number ejected.
Wake up to Australians moaning about abuse toward their players...pfffff.... pot, kettle... now sit back and watch Aussies abuse me for this tweet 😂
— mark boucher (@markb46) March 24, 2018
“Cricket South Africa and the players appreciate the fans’ passionate support displayed at all our games. However the events that transpired today were not tolerable and something that we don’t want to see at any of our Test matches,” he said.
“We have since taken it upon ourselves to beef up our security personnel to ensure that players from both sides don’t have to endure such unfortunate behaviour. Both CSA and the players encourage supporters to continue rooting for their teams and also to behave in a decorous manner that will allow this Test series to be played in true spirit of the game.”
Cricket Australia has filed a complaint with Cricket South Africa after the of sustained abuse of players’ families by fans at Newlands.
One fan in the members pavilion fronted David Warner as he left the field after being dismissed and proceeded to make comments, reportedly about his wife, as he walked up the race on day two of the match.
Absolutely right, and I don’t condone any of it....
— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) March 24, 2018
But Blimey i have never seen an Aussie team whinge and whine like this! https://t.co/ECi5y1BA91
Warner stopped and had a short exchange with the man before walking on, but a single security guard who was present made no move to stop the man who continued to hurl abuse at the Australian.
It is estimated around 10 people were ejected for the abuse yesterday and three were kicked out on day one for wearing T-shirts which attacked the Warner family.
“I think it’s been disgraceful,” Lehmann said. “You’re talking about abuse of various players and their families and personal abuse, it’s not on at a cricket ground anywhere around the world, not just here, it shouldn’t happen.
“You can have the banter, that’s fine, banter is good-natured, fun by crowds but they’ve gone too far here. We’ve written to Cricket South Africa, Cricket Australia have done that, we’ll see their response, but it’s been poor. We’ll see what happens, hopefully something.”
Lehmann confirmed that the abuse by the fan toward Warner as he left the field was “personal and it was poor and he wasn’t the only one”.
“There’s always going to be banter, as long as it doesn’t get personal, but it has gone too far with the crowd here and they’ve got to be better than that when they’re coming to international arenas to watch a game of two quality sides playing against each other,” Lehmann said.
“They go hard on the ground, there’s no doubt about that, but off the ground you don’t expect that when you’re leaving the ground or you’re having a go at someone’s family. It’s just disgraceful.
“We accept it all around the world, but as soon as they cross the line and they talk about players’ families the whole time and getting abused like that, it’s just not on. there’s been various incidents throughout the Test series but this one has taken the cake.”
Lehmann admitted that Australian fans also go too far at times.
“That’s not good enough from an Australian crowd point of view either,” he said. “We’ve just got to get better at watching the game of cricket, actually supporting both teams generally, and that’s something that both boards have got to get around.”
Morne Morkel defended the South African fans and said Australians give as good as they get.
“Unfortunately, there is a bit of alcohol and there’s hot sun and we expect that,” the bowler, who is married to Australian television reporter, Roz Kelly said. “When we play in Australia, I have played in Melbourne, I have copped the same sort of abuse. It’s part of the game but there is a line and its important not to cross that.
“The crowd here is always amazing. They come out and support us all the time. It’s always special playing here at Newlands. It’s the marquee event and the way they get behind the boys and lift us up when we are out in the field is special.”
South African players have regularly been abused by Australian fans.
A Tasmanian man was banned for three years for racist graffiti aimed at Hashim Amla during the Hobart Test in 2016. Ashwell Prince and Makhaya Ntini have also been racially abused.
Elements of the fans have been particularly ugly at Newlands with reports they have lists of all the Australian players wives or girlfriends and are labelling them “sluts” or worse.
Fans continued their ugly behaviour as the team bus left the ground.
It has been a difficult series for Warner.
The batsman got into a verbal slanging match with Quinton de Kock after the South African used what the batsman called “vile and disgusting” about his wife Candice.
Two Cricket South Africa officials were then disciplined when they posed with fans wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks — a taunt directed at the Warners — at the game in Port Elizabeth.
The pair, marketing manager Clive Eksteen and communications manager Altaaf Kazi, have not apologised. They were recalled to Johannesburg and are not expected to be seen again.
The ground authorities had agreed not to let the masks but are understood to have been forced to back down when officials intervened.
Candice, her mother and their two children are in South Africa and have witnessed the distressing behaviour first hand.