BCCI should make sure that a strong message is sent to CA for racial abuse of Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah: Pragyan Ojha

Former Indian cricketer Pragyan Ojha reckons that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should, seriously, take up the matter of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, getting racially abused, with Cricket Australia (CA). On the third day’s play in the Sydney Test, going by reports, Siraj had to bear the brunt of a few drunk Australian supporters when he was fielding at fine leg.

Bumrah couldn’t evade the wrath of the audience either. Later, the Indian team termed the incident as an ‘insulting’ one. Ajinkya Rahane, who’s standing in for regular captain Virat Kohli, also had a chat with the match officials after the end of the days play.

Pragyan Ojha opens up

Ojha, who retired from all forms of cricket last February, stated that the BCCI and CA should put their heads down and restore the sanity of the gentleman’s game.

“Now, Ajinkya Rahane, the coach and the management and the BCCI have to take it up seriously. This shouldn’t affect the game. Cricket has to be played the way it has to be played. But after the game is done, we should take it till this has been addressed in the strictest way.

“They should make sure that a very strong message should go to Cricket Australia and ICC should back it,” Ojha was quoted as saying by India Today.

Going by sources in the International Cricket Council (ICC), CA will have to decide on the course of action. As per the laws put forth the apex cricket council, the member nations have the rights to impose suspensions on the fans, who are found guilty of racial discrimination.

Incidents of crowds throwing abuses at cricketers aren’t uncommon. Back in 2019, England’s Jofra Archer had to go through a similar situation during his team’s defeat to New Zealand at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Then in January 2020, the fan was banned for two years.

As far as the Border Gavaskar Trophy is concerned, 2008 witnessed the Monkeygate scandal between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan was banned, but later it was revoked after he was found ‘not guilty’.