Graeme Smith warns Panesar of racist abuse

[silentstriker]

It is racial because it deals with race. It deals with him being Indian. And stupid, at that.

Yes, well technically you are right. But in terms of the content, its not that bad right now. Hopefully, it doesn't get worse..but I don't have much faith in that.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

"Stupid Indian who can't speak English" (sic) isn't racial abuse?

News to me.

Obviously the part you quote there is racial, but I don't necessarily have a problem with them having a go at Pietersen for being South African. It's pretty much fair game IMO, and a far cry from the stuff that happened last year.

And let's say for instance that Panesar actually was Indian, and qualified to play for England in the same way as Pietersen did. Is it then permissable to have a go at him for being a mercenary etc in the same way? It's a fine line, and I do think that some ways of making fun of players on the field are acceptable, provided that they aren't ridiculously over the top or totally inappropriate in nature.

 

[Jono]

I was just responding to your statement that Panesar's case brings into question what qualifies as racial abuse and what doesn't. I don't see how it does. The minute you attack someone's ethnicity with derogatory comments, its racial abuse.

 

[pasag]

Hingston have you read any of the posts after that? It's all been argued back and forth and it's over as far as I'm concerned.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I was just responding to your statement that Panesar's case brings into question what qualifies as racial abuse and what doesn't. I don't see how it does. The minute you attack someone's ethnicity with derogatory comments, its racial abuse.

I wasn't intending to suggest that the whole thing wasn't racially motivated, because obviously it was, just saying that there are some comments which are mentioned there that I don't really think qualify as racial abuse, and there's a questionmark over those. I certianly don't think the KP thing qualifies as racial abuse. It's no worse than what most touring sides cop in other countries from the crowd, and not racially motivated at all. And as a related issue, if Panesar was a mercenary who qualified for England because he couldn't get a gig as a spinner in India (which obviously he's not), the crowd having a go at him over it wouldn't be any different to the current KP situation, but I imagine it'd be taken very differently.

As far as the "stupid Indian who can't speak english" crap is concerned, obviously that's racial in nature, albeit less severe than what we've seen in the past.

 

[Jono]

And as a related issue, if Panesar was a mercenary who qualified for England because he couldn't get a gig as a spinner in India (which obviously he's not), the crowd having a go at him over it wouldn't be any different to the current KP situation, but I imagine it'd be taken very differently.

Ah I see where you're coming from.

I guess it'd depend if actual derogatory remarks were made about Panesar's ethnicity, but I understand the grey area you are talking about. If someone has a go at Pietersen for not being English but being a South African; "Why are you playing for England Pietersen, you're not even born there etc.", its not racial abuse, and will more then likely be shrugged off. But if it were aimed at Panesar if he were in a similar situation to the one you mentioned, it'd be taken more seriously simply because of the ethnical differences involved (white vs. white is different to South Asian vs. white) and the volatile environment we're in at the moment.

Point taken. I guess if the comment was (had Panesar been in the situation you mentioned) "Hey Monty, you were born in India, go play for them and stop trying to be English", it probably wouldn't count as racial abuse, but if it was "Hey Monty you stupid Indian, why are you playing for England when you can't even speak English", it most certainly is racial abuse.

It'd be much easier if idiots just didn't go there to be honest, but the world isn't perfect unfortunately.

 

[Langeveldt]

Hingston have you read any of the posts after that? It's all been argued back and forth and it's over as far as I'm concerned.

cbf, but fair enough..

 

[archie mac]

"No official complaint has been made, although the paper added that both Panesar and the South African-born Kevin Pietersen, were subjected to similar abuse during England's opening fixture of the tour in Canberra on Friday, where eight people were ejected from the ground for unruly behaviour".

I did not hear anything, but I did not run around the whole ground either. It does say the 8 were ejected for 'Unruly Behaviour' and not racial abuse

 

[Langeveldt]

We've got people getting thrown out of warmup games! insane! Wonder what it's going to be like at Sydney.. Is that still the toughest Aussie venue for touring teams?

 

[vic_orthdox]

And it begins:



Nothing huge so far, pretty light. Its going to get much worse.

Clearly not true. There's no swearing.

 

[Jono]

We've got people getting thrown out of warmup games! insane! Wonder what it's going to be like at Sydney.. Is that still the toughest Aussie venue for touring teams?

I always thought it was Melbourne?

 

[vic_orthdox]

I always thought it was Melbourne?

Yeah, the 15 year olds in "Bay 13" think it's hilarious.

 

[vic_orthdox]

One thing I'm worried about is that the whole abuse thing has been hyped up so much that it's going to be more prevalent than what it would have been otherwise.

There are some bloody dumb people at the cricket.

 

[R_D]

Also reporters will be very keen on reporting the smallest of things as well which probaly would've gone un-reported over the years.
There might be more off-field stories than onfield ones in this series.

 

[simmy]

You racist, convict, digereedoo playing asses. Leave Monty alone.

 

[Burgey]

You racist, convict, digereedoo playing asses. Leave Monty alone.

 

[social]

One thing I'm worried about is that the whole abuse thing has been hyped up so much that it's going to be more prevalent than what it would have been otherwise.

There are some bloody dumb people at the cricket.

Racism is borne of ignorance.

Whilst the comments made yesterday were hardly those of a genius, they seem more like the feeble attempt of a drunk to garner attention and laughs

I hope for his sake that we was horrendously drunk at the time as then he could at least wake up this morning, feel like ****e, swear off all alcohol forever (at least until the next time) and wonder how he ever came to a point in his life where his idiocy has been reported around the world

 

[Jono]

You racist, convict, digereedoo playing asses. Leave Monty alone.

 

[biased indian]

You racist, convict, digereedoo playing asses. Leave Monty alone.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Haha. The violent ones have been locked up for ten years now.

And dead....