(REUTERS): Cricket Australia (CA) has apologised to the India team after visiting players allegedly subjected to racial abuse by part of the crowd during the third Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
According to media reports, the Indian team lodged an official complaint after bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj complained of hearing racist slurs while fielding near the boundary rope.
Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane reported the incident to the on-field umpires at stumps after a long discussion with the senior players of the visiting contingent. On Sunday, Siraj approached the umpire pointing towards the stands and the action was paused as police ejected six fans from the ground.
In this regard, Cricket Australia also launched a parallel investigation with New South Wales Police, promising to take the “strongest measures” against anyone found guilty of vilification.
“As series hosts, we unreservedly apologise to our friends in the Indian cricket team and assure them we will prosecute the matter to its fullest extent,” Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia’s head of Integrity and Security, said in a statement.
He further said, “It is most regrettable that an otherwise excellent Test match contested in tremendous spirit by two friendly rivals has been tarnished by the actions of a small number of spectators over the past two days.
Venues New South Wales, which operates the stadium, said CCTV footage was being reviewed to assist the investigation and any fans identified as engaging in racial abuse would be banned from the SCG and other major stadiums in Sydney.
Meanwhile, India’s Ravichandran Ashwin has said that the team had been insulted by Sydney spectators in the past but the racial abuse had crossed a line during the ongoing match.
“It is definitely not acceptable in this day and age. This must definitely be dealt with iron-fist and we must make sure it doesn’t happen again,” the bowler added. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told Indian news agency, “Cricket is a gentleman’s game and these kinds of things are not allowed or accepted,” he added.
According to the ICC anti-discrimination policy, the host board would have to probe any incident relating to ‘inappropriate conduct’ and submit a report to the world governing body within two weeks.
