Cricket under increased scrutiny for racism towards fans

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Whether it’s hitting the stumps in a game of backyard cricket, heading to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the Boxing Day Test, or watching a game while eating Christmas leftovers, cricket is part of the DNA of summer in Australia.

But while it might be one of the world’s sports, played at some level in more than 120 countries, it’s not immune to racism.

A video appearing to show cricket fans singing a racist chant during the Boxing Day Test last month at the MCG has gone viral online, making headlines in India.

The video, which SBS News has chosen not to republish, appeared to show some supporters of the Australian team chanting “Where’s your visa?” at Indian fans.

Connor MacDonald is a lecturer and researcher at the University of South Australia, focusing on diversity and inclusion in the world of sport. He wasn’t surprised to hear of the chants.

“It certainly parallels other spectator racism you find across sport in other countries, including Australia,” he told SBS News.

While some might hope that spectator racism is becoming rarer, McDonald’s research suggests the opposite might be true.

The 2021 survey of 2,047 white participants across the Australian Football League (AFL), National Rugby League (NRL) and A-League football found spectator racism is common despite efforts to combat it.

At least 50 per cent of AFL fans reported witnessing racist behaviour during their lifetimes. And 36 per cent of NRL spectators and 27 per cent of A-League Men fans had also witnessed racism in the stands.

Respondents also said racism occurred at a greater level in 2020–2021 compared to over five years ago.

MacDonald said based on this research, there’s “more racism occurring” in recent years.

While the study didn’t focus explicitly on cricket, MacDonald said spectator racism is a symptom of society, rather than the sport itself.

Additionally, cricket’s colonial history also creates a fertile ground for racism, especially against the South Asian community, according to MacDonald.

“With cricket though, because it has a history of being a colonial sport and it has been widely taken up by communities across the world — but very specifically South Asian communities — there’s going to be a specific racism towards the South Asian community,” he said.

‘It’s a racist banter’

“The ‘where’s your visa’ chant in the video is a very targeted attack on the South Asian community here in Australia.”

MacDonald said it’s part of a broader anti-immigration sentiment that’s echoed throughout the world recently.

“One that I think has been spurred on by anti-immigration sentiment here in Australia and across Western nations at the moment,” he said.

While some might try to justify the chant as banter, MacDonald emphasises there’s a key difference between friendly sporting banter and racism.

“This certainly was racist,” he said.

“Look at the damage it does to the community that’s being subjugated to it. It’s going to impact that group’s mental health and even their physical safety at times.

“It can be banter, but it’s racist banter, so we should call it what it is.”

Two cricket players in white test match clothing are talking on the field.

In 2021, Indian cricket players Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were subjected to racial abuse from Australian fans. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins

The incident is part of a wider pattern of racism in Australian cricket grounds.

In 2021, Krishna Kumar was attending the third day of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India when he heard racist slurs aimed at Indian players and fans.

After the match, Kumar, a Sydney resident, filed two complaints — one with Cricket Australia and another with Venues NSW, which owns the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

He believes his experiences contributed to shaping Cricket Australia’s spectator racism guidelines, which were developed in collaboration with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

In the same year, Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were subjected to racial abuse by fans after they complained of hearing racist slurs while fielding near the boundary rope.

The same ‘visa’ chant was reportedly also used in 2018 during the first two days of the Boxing Day match between Australia and India, leading to multiple complaints.

But these aren’t just issues in Australian cricket culture.

A landmark report from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket in 2023 found classism, racism and misogyny were widespread in the English and Welsh cricket teams.

One of the commissioners of the report said structural and institutional racism was “entrenched” in the sport.

The report also noted that these issues were reflective of deeply rooted societal problems prevalent throughout the United Kingdom.

MacDonald said similar issues exist in Australia as well.

“It’s a colonial sport and sometimes white people can become a bit territorial for those sports … It comes from certainly cultural races and a wider white supremacy, but also those white fans may be feeling territorial for a sport that they see as their own.”

‘Cricket is life’ for this group of dedicated Indian cricket fans image

Are there laws to tackle spectator racism?

In Australia, federal laws exist to protect people against racial discrimination in all areas of life, including sport.

But MacDonald questions whether current codes and regulations are adequate enough to combat the issue.

In particular, he questions policies that require attendees to text a hotline to report problematic behaviour, something that both Cricket Australia and the MCG have adopted.

“I just don’t see that as enough. Putting the onus on other fans to have to [call]. A lot of times, it would be those people who are being targeted that would likely be the ones who notice or recognise it as racism and have to do the action to try to resolve it,” he said.

“I think that’s asking too much of those fans who are already being racially subjugated, and expecting fans to be able to police themselves, I don’t think is enough.”

According to McDonald’s research, just 3 per cent of AFL fans, 2 per cent of NRL fans and 1 per cent of A-League Men fans had reported using the hotlines, suggesting a “gap between some white fans witnessing and reporting racist incidents”.

Instead, he recommends hiring enough security who are culturally trained to handle racist incidents. He also recommends wider cultural change in involving more South Asian and other minority racial groups in cricket, initiatives that Cricket Australia is already undertaking.

Sport integrity chief says sports leaders mustn't downplay racism image

Can Cricket’s cross-cultural nature foster change?

Cricket is one of the biggest world games.

Days out for the test at The Gabba, MCG, or SCG might seem like it fosters cultural tolerance, especially with many of Australia’s core competitors like the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and arguably Australia’s largest cricket rival, India.

But while racism seems to be systemically embedded in Australian sport, MacDonald thinks the cross-cultural nature of cricket might be the one that can help foster positive change in the sports world.

“I would hope that because it’s become more of the world’s sport, it leads to better change. And I do think it can head in that direction.”

SBS News contacted Cricket Australia for comment.