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Graeme Smith warns Panesar of racist abuse

Legglancer

State Regular
Guess what country ?

Graeme Smith warns Panesar of racist abuse

Cricinfo staff

November 10, 2006


Graeme Smith, South Africa's captain, feels that left-arm spinner Monty Panesar will face an "unbelievable amount of abuse" - some of it racist - from the vociferous Australian crowds as England defend the Ashes over the next two months.

Speaking to The Guardian in Cape Town, Smith, whose team had suffered racial abuse from a section of the crowd when they toured Australia last year, feared for Monty, a bearded Sikh who wears a black patka.

"I was chatting to some of our team just the other day and we all shivered at the prospect of what he could be in for," Smith said. "He is going to cop an unbelievable amount of abuse. I sincerely hope for everyone's sake, but especially his, that it isn't of a racist nature, but our own experience obviously leaves us with doubts.

"Hopefully Monty can become a bit of a folk hero. I can see how that might happen. But if he is selected instead of [Ashley] Giles at the beginning of the tour then the noise levels when he comes on to bowl, or even just fields the ball at mid-on, will be close to unbearable. I dread to think of him fielding on the boundary."

Smith says the South African team coped with the abuse by tackling it head-on and reported all instances.

"It was definitely the right move as far as we are concerned," he said. "Anyone can see in sport around the world that a zero-tolerance approach to racism is being adopted and that's the only way to go. We all understood the dangers of racist copycats, but to do nothing or say nothing in the hope that it would just go away would have been as bad as condoning it."

Smith and team-mate Shaun Pollock went public with the abuse after hearing the word 'kaffir' - a racist term used against black people in southern South Africa - being constantly shouted from the stands. "It wasn't hard to see how upset and angry the players were," Smith said. "Given what South African society was, where it has come from and where it is going, nobody wanted to stand aside and let that stuff happen."

The ICC has recommended lengthy bans for spectators caught racially abusing players, but Smith doesn't believe Panesar will find much encouragement from this. "It's good if they are fined or banned, or locked up would be better," Smith said. "But it won't help Monty or any other target for their rubbish. I just hope they are seriously well prepared for the worst eventuality. Then hopefully it won't happen."

Panesar has seen a psychologist to deal with the rigours of playing in Australia, a move that Glenn McGrath described as "soft" on a radio station. When asked about McGrath's comments, Panesar wasn't moved. "I heard about that," he conceded, "but I guess that's pre-Ashes [banter]. You just accept that as part of cricket. We had a brief chat about Australia, but it was a team thing, not on an individual basis. That's how it goes with cricket - you just accept it."

© Cricinfo
 

C_C

International Captain
He had to be 'warned' ?
Like gee. Racist abuse...Australia...brown man...hmmm. It never happens!
:ph34r:
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I certainly don't agree with elements of crowd behaviour over here...don't really appreciate being grouped in with them though.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Son Of Coco said:
I certainly don't agree with elements of crowd behaviour over here...don't really appreciate being grouped in with them though.
No one is calling you racist. Just saying...like if you come to watch an Eagles game in Philadelphia, expect to be abused. That doesn't mean I will do it...it just means abuse exists and be prepared for it.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
silentstriker said:
No one is calling you racist. Just saying...like if you come to watch an Eagles game in Philadelphia, expect to be abused. That doesn't mean I will do it...it just means abuse exists and be prepared for it.
Where's Philadelphia? :D Hopefully someone'll come up with some decent songs this year to keep the drunken redneck element occupied.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Son Of Coco said:
Where's Philadelphia? :D Hopefully someone'll come up with some decent songs this year to keep the drunken redneck element occupied.
America. Our football team is the Philadelphia Eagles, and we're a bit on the rough side when it comes to opposing fans. Our stadium had a court with a judge right in the basement of the stadium, and he would sentence fans right there, to avoid long legal hassles.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I think Panesar would be pretty naive if he didn't expect any sort of racial harrasment, most of it will just be a bit of sledging from the crowd but I think a few idiots will take it too far. Because Monty is different he is bound to get hassled. Simple as that.
 

JASON

Cricketer Of The Year
Son Of Coco said:
Where's Philadelphia? :D Hopefully someone'll come up with some decent songs this year to keep the drunken redneck element occupied.
Did't see the Oscar winning movie of Tom Hanks , then .?:laugh:
 

Dasa

International Vice-Captain
Fair warning, but it would sound a lot better if it came from someone other than Smith.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
silentstriker said:
America. Our football team is the Philadelphia Eagles, and we're a bit on the rough side when it comes to opposing fans. Our stadium had a court with a judge right in the basement of the stadium, and he would sentence fans right there, to avoid long legal hassles.
Ah, right, thank you. :ph34r:
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Dasa said:
Fair warning, but it would sound a lot better if it came from someone other than Smith.
My thoughts exactly. It really annoys me because I'm not for a moment denying that there's a racist element in Australia, but the way Smith keeps banging on about it, he's making it sound like we're the most racist country on earth, which I really don't believe to be the case. I've not really heard many complaints (there have been some obviously) from visiting Windies, Pakistani, Indian or Sri Lankan teams. And it always gets left out that apparently most of the abuse of the Saffies was coming from ex-pats South Africans rather than Aussies. Most Aussies knowledge of race politics in South Africa is probably limited to "The Power of One" and Nelson Mandela. I know that, until the terrible incidents last year, I didn't actually realise that half the players that are considered 'coloured' and were abused weren't white.

Smith just comes across as having a big chip on his shoulder and I think he just diminishes his credibility every time he opens his mouth. Kallis, Boucher or Pollock should be made captain and Smith should concentrate on learning to play the swinging ball.

For what its worth, I think Pasener will cop more abuse for his fielding than his race or turban, and if he plays well, I think he'll actually be adopted by the crowd - he seems like a top bloke.
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
Matt79 said:
And it always gets left out that apparently most of the abuse of the Saffies was coming from ex-pats South Africans rather than Aussies. Most Aussies knowledge of race politics in South Africa is probably limited to "The Power of One" and Nelson Mandela.
Just because something gets repeated over and over again from the Australian press, doesn't mean its true. To me, the ex-pats just seem like a pretty easy scapegoat for those willing to excuse Australian crowd behavior, and it comes off as a pretty piss poor excuse too. And I don't think that one can plead ignorance on this one either. In a country as big as Australia, you're going to have some people who know about these terminologies, and it doesn't take that many people in a stadium to make things get ugly.

Anyway, from the nature of the complaints I heard from the South Africans, the problem seems to be limited to a small minority of the spectators that are causing problems. I don't think it would be too difficult to nip these sort of problems in the bud by booting the offending trouble makers from the ground.
 

Poker Boy

State Vice-Captain
Why doesn't Mr Smith just shut up? We've heard it all before, its BORING!!:sleep: And I take it if Monty is playing at the nice, friendly "bullring" he wouldn't get abuse? PS - If I was an Aussie I'd be mad - to be lectured on racsim from the captain of the country that created apartheid...pots and kettles, anyone?
 

PhoenixFire

International Coach
Poker Boy said:
Why doesn't Mr Smith just shut up? We've heard it all before, its BORING!!:sleep: And I take it if Monty is playing at the nice, friendly "bullring" he wouldn't get abuse? PS - If I was an Aussie I'd be mad - to be lectured on racsim from the captain of the country that created apartheid...pots and kettles, anyone?

That's an awful statement to make. I can't actually believe that you're associating any South African with the apartheid. It's like saying a German person can't be pro HUman Rights, because they once had Hitler as their leader.
 

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