OK to taunt Murali says MacGill

[archie mac]

It depends, really, TBH. Some people use that phrase harmlessly - I know several people who call something along those lines on a daily basis. It's just who they are, and it doesn't offend me. If these were guys I knew hated me, I would assume that they actually meant it.

I don't know Warne, of course. But he strikes me as far more like the sort of guy who'd take that as "'avin' a laff" than would Murali were he to be called similar things. And if someone doesn't like being called some potentially-offensive-term, IMO you have no right calling him it. If he doesn't take offence at such terminology, there's not really any great harm using it towards him.

I don't think a ground with women and children, should have to put up with that sort of language, regardless of what Mr Warne thought (according to his bio, he was not impressed)

 

[Richard]

Women is neither here nor there (and TBH so is kids - I know 6-year-olds that routinely throw such phraseology around, disappointing though that may be) but yes, of course you should also consider those around you and their levels of expectations.

Some do not approve of that sort of language. This is a different matter, though, really, from how much abuse it's right to give players.

 

[archie mac]

Women is neither here nor there (and TBH so is kids - I know 6-year-olds that routinely throw such phraseology around, disappointing though that may be) but yes, of course you should also consider those around you and their levels of expectations.

Some do not approve of that sort of language. This is a different matter, though, really, from how much abuse it's right to give players.

My 5 yo would never have heard that word, and if anyone used it near my family at a cricket ground I would 'pull their nose'

And calling someone that is way over the top imo

 

[JASON]

Can't understand Macgill's agenda here ? Why would he say this now with 2 months before a series....unless he is trying get some popular support in Australia as he takes over from Warne as the main strike bowler or he wants Murali totally dessimated in Australia just by the harassment he gets there ....cannot read into Macgills underlying agenda for his comments ....

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

So it's okay to abuse Australian players if they take it well but it's not okay to abuse Murali? That's nothing short of ridiculous.

Obviously racial abuse and so on is a totally different issue to Murali being called a chucker or people chanting "no ball" or whatever, and there's no point in treating them as the same. Murali should be able to come to Australia and play cricket without being racially abused, threatened or physically assaulted. However, here's no reason that he should be protected from being called a chucker, it's as simple as that.

 

[shortpitched713]

Well ideally, no player should have to put up with such abuse from the crowd. I know its basically an accepted part of many sports now, but theres no reason that the most extreme forms of abuse can't be more strictly regulated, especially things like no-ball taunts. Just because one is in a stadium doesn't give one the right to slander others, and to condone such an action is counterproductive to all measures to maintain any level of civility at cricket grounds.

 

[biased indian]

i dont agree with the idea of the whole stadium going No -ball for each Ball

 

[Speersy]

we might not have to, he's injured. 6 weeks

 

[The Sean]

Guys like Nel and Panesar came to Australia and took some stick and after they stuck it out they became mini heroes.

Is there anyone in Australia who doesn't think Andre Nel is an absolute prat? (nicest word I could think of)

Monty is a different matter, but I don't remember reading about much abuse directed at him TBH, whereas Nel pretty much brought it all upon himself.

 

[Jono]

Nel wasn't abused in the same way Murali is IMO, but Nel's such a champ he took it well. I reckon the crowd ended up having fun with him when he'd dance to there "Nel is a wanker" chants.

 

[The Sean]

Nel wasn't abused in the same way Murali is IMO, but Nel's such a champ he took it well. I reckon the crowd ended up having fun with him when he'd dance to there "Nel is a wanker" chants.

Fair enough, maybe I'm superimposing his behaviour on the return leg in South Africa onto his Australian behaviour and judging him on that. It just always seemed to me that he went beyond hard competitiveness and well into angry, vitriolic wanker-dom.

 

[Jono]

Yeah I think people's opinion of Nel worsened when Australia went to SA, as you stated. When Gilly was smacking him all over the park and Nel acted like a dickhead.

But for mine he was alright in Aus, and I think the crowd had fun mucking around with him.

 

[Richard]

So it's okay to abuse Australian players if they take it well but it's not okay to abuse Murali? That's nothing short of ridiculous.

Nothing whatsoever to do with nationality (though it'd be foolish to suggest that nationality doesn't come into expectations).

I have friends who I routinely call "you ****" or whatever, and I have friends who I'd never, ever call them such because it's not "natural" to them. You behave as those whom your behaviour is directed towards feel comfortable with.

 

[jammay123]

its ok for fans to taunt anyplayer why should murali be of exception

 

[R_D]

its ok for fans to taunt anyplayer why should murali be of exception

But has any player been taunted like Murali..... calls of No ball every ball must be real enjoyable.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I have friends who I routinely call "you ****" or whatever, and I have friends who I'd never, ever call them such because it's not "natural" to them. You behave as those whom your behaviour is directed towards feel comfortable with.

Did you actually think about that argument before you typed it out? Do you really think Shane Warne gets called a fat **** because he "feels comfortable" with it and his close mates yelling from the boundary know that, or do you think Shane Warne chooses to take it as lightly as he can because he realises that's the best way to deal with idiots who call cricket players names?

I think if Murali's best mate called him a chucker as a light-hearted joke Murali would take it pretty well and laugh it off too. It's a bit different coming from Bay 13, just like for every other cricketer who cops it at the MCG.

 

[Johnners]

So it's okay to abuse Australian players if they take it well but it's not okay to abuse Murali? That's nothing short of ridiculous.

Obviously racial abuse and so on is a totally different issue to Murali being called a chucker or people chanting "no ball" or whatever, and there's no point in treating them as the same. Murali should be able to come to Australia and play cricket without being racially abused, threatened or physically assaulted. However, here's no reason that he should be protected from being called a chucker, it's as simple as that.

Spot on tbh, as i said earlier, racial & personal abuse it out of the question and should not be tolerated. However taunts of "no ball" or "chucker" i see no problem with, as i'd suggest that most cricketers may have to put up with such taunts at least once or twice in their career, and it just so happens that Murali, as great a bowler as he is, also arguably the most controversial cricket of all time so he's going to cop it more than others.

Also, i don't think Macgill, or anyone for that matter, is suggesting for a moment that crowds should boo Murali in Australia if/when he overtakes Warnes wicket taking record.

 

[iamdavid]

Im pretty much completely in agreeance with MacGill here, what he said has been taken out of context a little but, all he actually meant was that it gets blown out of proportion and some players are overly sensitive to it.
The crowds are the reasons players earn these 6 and 7 figure sums, without public interest they would be nothing. Unfortunately in life some people arent as respectful as others and they might enjoy getting off their faces and yelling abuse at a player, deal with it, I'd gladly get sworn at and called names by drunk bogans for a million bucks a year as would anybody. Its part and parcel of being an international sportsman, and I know Murali may be more sensitive than others due to the nature of what he's had to go through to clear his action, but he knows its legal, the people who make the rules have deemed it so and the opposition know its legal, so who cares if the moron in row 32 thinks he's a chucker, harden up and play some cricket its what you're paid for.

 

[honestbharani]

Not OK for cricketers to voice their honest, harmless opinons say CricketWeb members.

It's ok for spectators to yell out whatever they want, whenever they want and however they want no matter how insulting, disparaging or personal (AND OBVIOUSLY FALSE) the allegation may be...... The sportsmen should not even say a word abt it and just get on with it, says McGill...... And sideshowtim seems to agree......



The spectators owe decent behaviour towards sportsmen and if ppl can't see that, the problem is with them, not anyone else. Heck, people owe decent behaviour in public just because of the fact that they are human beings. It is called being civil and doing acceptable things in public. Otherwise, we will all be barbarians...

 

[honestbharani]

The Barmy Army have a ridiculous amount of songs taunting Australian cricketers. They must have a 50 page book about Warney, they have a lot about Punter now these days too. These songs are certainly things which taunt players. Should we disallow these? Should the Barmy Army not be able to sing such 'filth'?

Personally, I think cricketers need to man up. Not all of them actually because a large majority of them take taunts from the crowd as it's meant to be taken, a bit of a joke which symbolises the rivalry and passion that goes on in cricket. But Murali, what a god damn whinger. Why is he so special that the crowd is not allowed to taunt him? They damn well taunt every other cricketer in the world, so why should Murali be excepted?

funny to see a person who himself is whinging in that post calling another one a "whinger".......