Symonds speaks up for Murali

[honestbharani]

You'd better believe it happens everywhere. There are dickheads anywhere - when you've got 15,000 humans in one place, there's simply bound to be.

One thing to consider in all this, of course, is that Australian grounds are generally bigger than most, and hence there is often larger audiences and therefore more potential for the small dickhead population to rear its ugly head.

It's exactly the same as someone not wanting to go to watch a game in Kolkata because of fear of riots. Yeah, it's not exactly likely, but if you get caught up in something that does happen - you'd best prepare for one of the worst things anyone could wish to experience.

Just like you'd be a fool to judge most Indians by the few that riot at the occasional cricket-match, you'd be a fool to judge most Australians by the few that throw racist bull**** around. Nonetheless, the fact that something like that is a possibility that cannot be ruled-out could quite easily put a rational and sensible person off going to a ground in a place where that's possible.

Of course, here in the UK we never have any problems at cricket. We're saintly holier-than-thous.

And yet as recently as 1992 there were some of the most disgraceful scenes you could ever wish to see at a cricket match, as Pakistani contingents were subjected to not merely racial taunts, but a pig's head being thrown into their seating area.

Wud tell u one thing, Richard... I have seen matches in Chennai so many times and NOT once has there been any personal safety concerns for anyone... The so called riots are just the whole crowd getting angry at the umpires and stuff... They almost NEVER harm people in the crowd. In fact, once, a group of us helped a couple of Aussies who had lost their purses to some pick-pocket guy/group. Tracking them down in a stadia which can hold 50,000 ppl almost was not easy, but it helped that those idiots were still sitting in the sam row and had just been jumping up and down abt a LBW decision when one of the guyz' purse fell off from this guy's back pocket.....

 

[Dasa]

I can't tbh, if you were 100% certain you would cop abuse, then I could understand, maybe Dasa could tell us how many times he has been to the cricket, and how many times he has had a problem

Every Boxing Day Test for the last few years bar 2006. Tbf in Tests I've only had abuse thrown at me in 2004 when India was playing. I've been to heaps of ODIs, copped abuse quite a few times, worst was in 2000 (or was it '99?), again when India was here.

 

[The Sean]

Put me out of my misery: you are actually an Aussie aren't you?

Yeah mate, I thought that was common knowledge!

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's exactly the same in any country: here, you get rubbish at the football (soccer for those non-Brits) that you'd never remotely dream of seeing at the cricket or, indeed, most other sports.

If you mean racism, then that's bull****, frankly. I've been to literally hundreds of football games & have only ever heard one racist remark (at Portman Road in Ipswich it was). The response she got from her fellow fans meant she shut right up after that.

 

[archie mac]

Every Boxing Day Test for the last few years bar 2006. Tbf in Tests I've only had abuse thrown at me in 2004 when India was playing. I've been to heaps of ODIs, copped abuse quite a few times, worst was in 2000 (or was it '99?), again when India was here.

Still not acceptable but as I thought much worse at ODI

 

[Richard]

If you mean racism, then that's bull****, frankly. I've been to literally hundreds of football games & have only ever heard one racist remark (at Portman Road in Ipswich it was). The response she got from her fellow fans meant she shut right up after that.

Nope, didn't mean racism at all. Read what I'm responding to as well as what I myself have said.

 

[Richard]

Yeah mate, I thought that was common knowledge!

It probably is, but given that I was absent when you first joined and you've been a sadly rare contributor for quite a few months now I wasn't sure.

The amount you say "mate" was the big giveaway for me.

 

[Richard]

Wud tell u one thing, Richard... I have seen matches in Chennai so many times and NOT once has there been any personal safety concerns for anyone... The so called riots are just the whole crowd getting angry at the umpires and stuff... They almost NEVER harm people in the crowd. In fact, once, a group of us helped a couple of Aussies who had lost their purses to some pick-pocket guy/group. Tracking them down in a stadia which can hold 50,000 ppl almost was not easy, but it helped that those idiots were still sitting in the sam row and had just been jumping up and down abt a LBW decision when one of the guyz' purse fell off from this guy's back pocket.....

There have been a few bad riots at games in India occasionally, though, yes?

 

[Son Of Coco]

What may really have an effect is if John Howard went out of his way to shake hands with Murali and bury the hatchett or did something like that....

But do you think John is humble enough at this point in his political career to do something like that ....doubt it..

I think you're overestimating John Howard's effect on the Australian public.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I wasn't aware the abuse was racist. The abuse Murali suffers is often the same type members of the South African side suffered. Quite different from the usual Aus-Eng banter, which is usually done in good fun. If I were Murali, I simply would stop touring Australia. Why put yourself through that for no reason?

I don't really mind the no-ball chants and the like. I don't think there is any place for racist abuse, and Australia has a reputation for it. This is just me personally, but I don't really ever want to watch a Test match in Australia whereas I'd love to go to England and any other country (except Zimbabwe of course).

I'm not sure it's any more warranted than anywhere else though TBH. I think its talked about more if it happens here.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Yeah I hear Cronulla is a good spot if you want some piece and quiet...

 

[Son Of Coco]

Never really see much happen at AFL games either, because there's always something going on, much like league, soccer and those type of sports. The people who see the need to "entertain themselves" ( ) at the cricket, will be the ones who take the opportunity to drink all day and cause havoc around them, just because there's nothing going on for the 20 seconds while the bowler is walking back to his mark.

I think the problem may be that the type of people who indulge in these sort of activities aren't there to watch the game in the first place, and so have to entertain themselves for 8 hours while it's on...even though they've gone to the ground under the pretense of watching it.

 

[Burgey]

Every Boxing Day Test for the last few years bar 2006. Tbf in Tests I've only had abuse thrown at me in 2004 when India was playing. I've been to heaps of ODIs, copped abuse quite a few times, worst was in 2000 (or was it '99?), again when India was here.

A much bigger problem at ODIs, I think. And an even bigger problem at D/N games.

Me thinks ETOH a big factor in it, sadly.

 

[honestbharani]

There have been a few bad riots at games in India occasionally, though, yes?

may have been but I am really not sure of too many ppl being in mortal danger from the crowds during cricket matches. Once I remember they had sold too many tickets and the stadium overflowed which cost some ppl their lives, but I do reckon they are very very rare. Crowd riots disturbing the game, though, happens a little more frequently, unfortunately.

 

[roseboy64]

You'd better believe it happens everywhere. There are dickheads anywhere - when you've got 15,000 humans in one place, there's simply bound to be.

Don't generalize Rich. I'm pretty sure there's no racism at Sabina Park or anywhere in Jamaica for that matter. This comment also is in response to something Burgey said in the Murali/Bradman thread. True, there are racial problems but none where there is discrimination or abuse to anyone, even Muslims. That from a "Christian" nation with churches everywhere. Jews receive no problems as well I'm sure. I interact regularly with the umm lighter skinned minority and no form of racial abuse is meted out. Sure at the cricket you'll have boisterous people but they only attack the players AFAIK. You'd be pretty hard pressed to find instances of racism here as well as in most of the Caribbean islands. Not sure about T&T and Guyana though as they have some problems still lingering from colonial immigration after slavery.

 

[roseboy64]

Nope, didn't mean racism at all. Read what I'm responding to as well as what I myself have said.

Oh.........

 

[Langeveldt]

Surely if it was racist abuse that Murali was copping in Oz, then the other Sri Lankan players would have fallen victim to that too?

 

[roseboy64]

According to Das and others, the other Sri Lankans have as well.

 

[shehanwije]

I remember during the World XI vs Australia ODIs they had a couple of years ago there were some guys behind me shouting 'no-ball' and all the usual crap when Murali was bowling. I just looked at them, didn't even say anything, and had to put up with a torrent of abuse including racial abuse just for that. They were clearly drunk, but it doesn't excuse the behaviour and it wasn't the first time I'd experienced something like that. Luckily there was a very nice older English bloke who gave them a piece of his mind and they left me alone after that, but it was pretty poor especially considering I was there with my family, not just with friends my own age who are used to that sort of thing.

I was also at the Aus vs World XI test (Sydney, Oct '05).....the atmosphere was a bit dull as it was not a country vs country situ. But in the second innings Murali and Freddy bowled a magical spell in tandem, to exert significant pressure on Aus and for a while the game was very interesting....I could not recollect too many buffoons calling no-ball when Murali bowled, apart from the first ball or two in his first spell.

 

[shehanwije]

Surely if it was racist abuse that Murali was copping in Oz, then the other Sri Lankan players would have fallen victim to that too?

Not only do they regularly cop it from the Aussie crowd (particularly in Day/Night ODI's), he Lankans players also copped racial abuse from Darren Lehman in '04 as he was walking back to the dressing room after being dismissed.....and Leahman was fined severely.

http://ia.rediff.com/cricket/2003/jan/21dan.htm