Yorkshire Cricket Club

[ChicagoBlue]

Apparently Cheteshwar Pujara does also go by Chet, Puji, Tesha, Teshy, Warza or Chetsy in the India team. None of them mouthfuls.

On it's own, it's not racist to call him Steve, it's just really disrespectful and he was really clear he didn't like it and in the context that all non-white players were denied their own name and given a generic English sounding name, it's feeds back into the racist culture.

If he asked not to be called that, and instead one of the many alternatives you presented, then that WOULD be an issue, of course.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s an aspect of the story I had not seen or heard before.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Yes, it had crossed my mind that it could be that. As I'm sure you are aware It's a common practice of East Asian students in Western universities, but they usually pick their own names.

Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff is an example of someone more known by a nickname given to them, it is a play on his name's resemblance to Fred Flintsone. Not insulting or offensive but if he felt it was demeaning and not serious and had asked not to be called it all those years ago, I would hope people would have been polite enough to respect his wishes.

However, these considerations are all irrelevant, because Jack Brooks has already admitted using the name in the alleged context and apologised for it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/news/somerset-seamer-jack-brooks-apologises-to-cheteshwar-pujara-over-steve-nickname/amp_articleshow/87781332.cms

Coincidentally, I was walking past the stadium today and saw a TV van (with satellite transmitter) and camera man setting up and assumed it was something to do with this.

​

Not so fast…that’s not quite what the article states, or indicative of the apology given to Pujara, which did NOT admit it had been racist and only that it was now “not acceptable.”

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Not so fast…that’s not quite what the article states, or indicative of the apology given to Pujara, which did NOT admit it had been racist and only that it was now “not acceptable.”

"I admit to having used it in this context and now accept that it was disrespectful and wrong to do so. I have reached out and apologised to Cheteshwar for any offence that I have caused him or his family. At the time I didn't recognise this as racist behaviour, but I can now see that it was not acceptable."

It’s implied that he recognises it could be seen as racist, even if he doesn't admit that it was. His lawyer and PR advisor who helped him draft that statement are hardly likely to have advised him to admit being racist on something that without all the stuff that happened to Azeem would usually be considered a grey area or just rudeness.

Let's assume it wasn't racist, you can hardly blame Azeem for believing it was, when he was referred to as Kevin, can you?

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

Ah that’s pretty damning. Inexcusable bigotry, which now taints the point he’s making (imo).

 

[FantasyIreland]

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

It's just not Cricket.....

 

[ChicagoBlue]

"I admit to having used it in this context and now accept that it was disrespectful and wrong to do so. I have reached out and apologised to Cheteshwar for any offence that I have caused him or his family. At the time I didn't recognise this as racist behaviour, but I can now see that it was not acceptable."

It’s implied that he recognises it could be seen as racist, even if he doesn't admit that it was. His lawyer and PR advisor who helped him draft that statement are hardly likely to have advised him to admit being racist on something that without all the stuff that happened to Azeem would usually be considered a grey area or just rudeness.

Let's assume it wasn't racist, you can hardly blame Azeem for believing it was, when he was referred to as Kevin, can you?

To be quite honest, I think it’s all a bit pathetic from supposedly grown men who were all doing a job together. But, that’s just me!

The world has gone soft. Everyone needs therapy, companies, schools and apparently sports clubs all need counselors, and the level of faux outrage and “gotcha, now you owe me” sentiment makes me throw up!

That’s not to say there are not REAL AND SERIOUS racist actions that need addressing, but this whole situation smacks of childishness and “I’ll show you!”

The first one to go to the media wins, and then the rest blink, because once the public gets told what their “public sentiment” is, and also gets told how outraged they should be, people start to feel like anything less than the suitable level of outrage looks bad ON THEM!

How many people do YOU think are just paying LIP SERVICE to this whole incident(s) now they’ve become embroiled in it and how many do you feel are ACTUALLY thinking… “Yes, it’s absolutely awful and needs to stop…” and then the part that doesn’t get said… “so you will all just fuck off and move on to the next target of your faux ire!”

Today, it seems like EVERYTHING is a PR limitation exercise! In fact, it is all starting to feel like a bad episode of Flack…

 

[Sir peace frog]

We used to call a polish lad "gary" after that only fools and horses episode.

Should I apologise and resign from my job? glad I'm not 15 again with my shaved head boots and union jack t-shirt,,I wasn't and never have been racist, but I might of looked like one.

I don't use twitter, face book,Instagram , and I'm fucking glad

 

[Tim of the Oak]

A flippant remark by me, I should have said Root seemingly had no objection to Ballance's selection but that is conjecture on my part. I'm sure selectors would listen to the captain if he said a player shouldn't be selected because they are a racist, then again this is English cricket and I have no faith in those at the top of the game.

To address your point in the other post, nobody is accusing Root of a crime, they're accusing him of turning a blind eye to racism, when asked directly if he heard racist remarks his response was self-preserving and that of a coward. I believe his captaincy should now be untenable but I very much doubt he'll lose it.

It’s a good job we still live in a society where people are innocent until proven guilty. Also, a society where peole can be rehabilitated like Rafiq says he has been.

Rafiq says Root is a good guy but he didn’t take on the racists in Yorkshire. That “blind eye” assessment might be true. We just don’t know.

Maybe there are times when many of us wish we would have done more into tackle bigotry and bullying. Then later in life we’ve felt more able to do so.

 

[Blue Maverick]

So how do people feel about “blackface”, another cricketer has to apologise as he went to a fancy dress as Tupac, his music hero! It’s a fancy dress for fucks sake, no point in going as a white Tupac is there? If me and my mates went as the A team and one went blacked up as Mr T is he racist, that’s the character, what next you can’t white up if you want to go as a clown!

 

[Sir peace frog]

So how do people feel about “blackface”, another cricketer has to apologise as he went to a fancy dress as Tupac, his music hero! It’s a fancy dress for fucks sake, no point in going as a white Tupac is there? If me and my mates went as the A team and one went blacked up as Mr T is he racist, that’s the character, what next you can’t white up if you want to go as a clown!

It goes too far, the lad has obviously gone through a tough time and it's shocking that Yorkshire tried to brush it under the carpet but going back years and years to dig out tweets is ridiculous, people are resigning all over the place because of something they wrote years ago, I said before back in 81 we were all singing about jews going to belson, well maye not all but I certainly wasn't singing it on my own