It is Not Just Restricted to the Skin Colour: Irfan Pathan on Racism

Racism has once again rocked the world of cricket, with this time Darren Sammy coming forward and revealing how his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates hurled racial slurs at him. Although his former teammate Irfan Pathan had denied any such doing, he did mention that it was prevalent in the domestic circuit.

Pathan on Tuesday tweeted, “It is not just restricted to the skin colour” and one could also be racially abused on the grounds of his religion.

“Racism is not restricted to the colour of the skin. Not allowing to buy a home in a society just because u have a different faith is a part of racism too.”

On this Pathan told PTI, “It is an observation and I don’t think anyone can deny this.”

West Indies cricket great Michael Holding believes regulations against racism in sports will remain “just a plaster on the sore” as long as the society does not unite to tackle the menace.

Asked about his views on the worldwide campaign against racism after the killing of African-American George Floyd in the US and numerous athletes taking a stand against it, Holding said racism in sports cannot be stopped by merely having tough rules.

“You will get racism, people will shout things at cricket grounds, football grounds, wherever, you can’t stamp out racism by tackling individual sports, you have to tackle the society,” Holding, who took 249 wickets in 60 Tests for West Indies between 1975 and 1987, said in an Instagram chat on Sunday night.

“It is the people from the society who go to these grounds and shout racist slogans or racist abuse at people. You have to tackle it from the society itself, not the sport,” the 66-year-old added.