Cricket racism: Indian players urged to speak to police over racism claims

Cricket Australia is urging Indian players to take their claims of racist abuse to the police, as Test legend Adam Gilchrist says the incident is much like the Adam Goodes claims.

Cricket Australia officials have urged India’s players to speak to police and Australian Test great Adam Gilchrist has condemned abusers who target sportspeople.

Police sources said officers were waiting for information from cricket investigators before pursuing any examination of their own into Sunday’s incident involving young Indian star Mohammed Siraj.

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

Spectators being escorted out after allegedly some remarks were made on the fourth day of the third Test match between Australia and India at the SCG. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

Policemen stand guard among sections of the crowd as the match was halted on Sunday. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

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

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

Indian paceman Mohammed Siraj, who was allegedly racially abusted by the SCG crowd. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah have said they were racially abused across Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the SCG, and CA officials are working hard to help them and other Indian players give their version of events to detectives.

Cricket Australia interim chief executive Nick Hockley said life bans could be handed out to anyone found guilty of racial vilification.

“At the moment we are working with the NSW Police. We’re supporting their investigation,” Hockley said.

“We’re also doing our own investigation under the ICC’s (International Cricket Council’s) anti-discrimination protocols. We’ve got an obligation to report back to the ICC within two weeks and we’re very committed to doing so.”

There are two incidents being investigated by Cricket Australia: An alleged episode of abuse on Saturday, where Siraj and Bumrah were interviewed by ICC security chiefs after play, and then Sunday’s incident where the Test match was stopped for 10 minutes and six men were ejected from the SCG.

Jasprit Bumrah of India was also allegedly involved. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Police sources and eyewitnesses don’t believe Sunday’s incident involving the six men was racism, however, there is more evidence to suggest Saturday’s allegations could be substantiated.

That included the publishing of a video on Fox Sports, which some say provides muffled audio of a fan shouting “brown dog” — an allegation of abuse already reported in Indian media.

Hockley refused to confirm whether investigators have identified alleged ­culprits from Saturday’s incident, however their search is helped by the fact COVID has forced every fan to register the seat they sit in with phone numbers and addresses.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that allegedly racist abuse against an Indian cricket player would be “so un-Australian” if the claims are proven to be correct.

She said there “is no place for racism” at sporting events.

India's Ravichandran Ashwin says Sydney crowds have been racist for at least a decade. Picture: David Gray/AFP

“The vast majority of Australians are good decent people,” she said. “If those claims are correct, it is of concern.”

Indian star Ravichandran Ashwin accused Sydney fans of regular abuse of Indian players over a 10-year period.

Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar said he never encountered any issues in Sydney. Sachin Tendulkar also praised the SCG.

“It is my favourite venue outside of India. It is a lucky ground for me,” he said on Friday. “(Australians) are extremely competitive on the field, and that’s how it’s meant to be … but when someone comes here and performs well, they’re the first ones to applaud.”

Originally published as Cricket racism: Indian players urged to speak to police over racism claims