Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
`Every time we play with Australia, something like this happens`: Mohammed Azharuddin on racism in Sydney Test
India vs Australia: Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin believes that hurling racial abuses on Indian players while playing in Australia has become "a regular affair" and urged the ICC to find a way to end this menace "forever".
There were unwanted scenes on Day 4 of the third Test as India pacer Mohammed Siraj was subjected to racial abuse by a section of fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Siraj was fielding at the square-leg boundary when a group of six people starting hurling racial slurs at him. Play had to be stopped as Siraj and captain Ajinkya Rahane complained to the umpire. Six people were ejected from the stadium by security.
The incident has been condemned by a lot of former cricketers with Cricket Australia assuring that the perpetrators will be punished.
However, former captain Mohammad Azharuddin believes that hurling racial abuses on Indian players while playing in Australia has become "a regular affair" and urged the ICC to find a way to end this menace "forever".
"Every time we play with Australia, something of this thing happens. It is becoming a regular affair. Nobody should tolerate all these things,” Azharuddin told PTI on the sidelines of a local cricket tournament at Margao.
"The ICC should look into the matter and quickly resolve this problem forever,” he added.
Sunday's incident was after Siraj and his senior pace partner Jasprit Bumrah were abused by a drunk man on Saturday. The BCCI has already complained about it to ICC match referee David Boon.
The ICC condemned the incidents of Indian players being subjected to racial abuse by the spectators and sought an action taken report from the host country's cricket board. Cricket Australia offered an "unreserved apology" and promised strongest possible action against those responsible.
“It is good that Cricket Australia has tendered apology and I am sure they will take action also. CA should be very strict,” Azharuddin said.
“Whoever has done it, it is very sad. Those people responsible should be ejected and not allowed to come in the grounds,” said the 57-year-old former stylish batsman.
Azharuddin, who played 99 Tests between 1985 and 2000 and scored 6215 runs, said that the players are on the ground to play cricket and racial abuses on them are "not acceptable".
“The players put in a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Subjecting them to this kind of things is sad and not acceptable,” he said.
“It is also for the people to understand that we are in the 21st century. People may be drunk. It is no excuse that they are drunk and so will hurl abuses.”
(with PTI inputs)
