Racist cricketers

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Pale Rider

Veteran
There's quite a story unfolding in the world of leather on willow and cream teas.

One of the latest tales relates to Alex Hales who was pictured about 10 years ago in what appears to be head to toe black make up.

His explanation, which might even have some truth in it, is he was attending a musician themed fancy dress party as the rapper Tupac.

Which in itself begs a question - is it permissible for a white man to dress up as a black man?

Looks like it isn't, but the white man can certainly dress up as a woman, and I've never heard any complaints about an Englishman donning a kilt and sporran to dress as a Scotsman.

What if a black man wanted to dress as a white one?

Wouldn't bother me.

Much of this stuff is a deliciously complicated moral maze.

The so called P word has been at the heart of many of the stories.

The vast majority appear to consider it offensive, not least the person who it was said to who ought to have the final say.

Yet two Pakistanis, one older guy and a young woman, have told me they don't regard it as offensive, and some members of their community use it as a short form, in the same way Brit is used as short for British.

Not that I will ever use it, and nor will I ever be seen with a black face, unless Pale Rider Towers is blown up and I'm covered in soot.

Which I suppose is my way of saying it ought to be possible with only a little thought to avoid getting into racial hot water.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/16779926/alex-hales-blackface-picture-england-cricket/
 
Last edited:

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
I thought the steam may have gone out of this story, when the original complainant was allegedly found to have used anti semitic remarks in the past?
 
OP
OP
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Veteran
I thought the steam may have gone out of this story, when the original complainant was allegedly found to have used anti semitic remarks in the past?

Yes, that was a bit of an oops moment, although I think the story now has so much momentum it will continue to run and run (cricketing pun intended).

Some of the allegations seem to spring from the relatively trivial matter of people paying their way.

Former player and current Sky commentator David Lloyd is in bother for saying it was impossible to get club subs out of Asian players.

The whistleblower's anti-semitic remark related to a player being reluctant to stand his round because he was a Jew.

I suppose the latter reminds us that it's not only white people who have a problem with other races and beliefs.

Religious and/or racial hostility being a cause of many wars between people of various colour combinations.
 

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
Yes, that was a bit of an oops moment, although I think the story now has so much momentum it will continue to run and run (cricketing pun intended).

Some of the allegations seem to spring from the relatively trivial matter of people paying their way.

Former player and current Sky commentator David Lloyd is in bother for saying it was impossible to get club subs out of Asian players.

The whistleblower's anti-semitic remark related to a player being reluctant to stand his round because he was a Jew.

I suppose the latter reminds us that it's not only white people who have a problem with other races and beliefs.

Religious and/or racial hostility being a cause of many wars between people of various colour combinations.

Or, are liable to fall into the stereotype trap ;)
 

Unkraut

Master of the Inane Comment
Location
Germany
The so called P word has been at the heart of many of the stories.
Pace?

Wouldn't this whole issue of being offended be massively reduced by finding out if someone was intending to be offensive, and whether those on the receiving end actually find it offensive. If you don't do this you simply increase the power of wokist control freaks and the professionally offended, and have everyone walking around on egg shells fearful they might unintentionally say the wrong thing.
 

Ian H

Legendary Member
Cricket (and not just cricket) seems to have a serious problem, but then its foundations have always been rather shaky: In the early days, gentlemen batted and their servants bowled and fielded. That's how it spread in the colonies as were.
 
OP
OP
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Veteran
Pace?

Wouldn't this whole issue of being offended be massively reduced by finding out if someone was intending to be offensive, and whether those on the receiving end actually find it offensive. If you don't do this you simply increase the power of wokist control freaks and the professionally offended, and have everyone walking around on egg shells fearful they might unintentionally say the wrong thing.

The banter argument has been used by those named as perpetrators, but some of it looks intentionally offensive to me.

One thing is certain, the whistleblower was grievously offended, describing himself as suicidal at one point.
 

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
Cricket (and not just cricket) seems to have a serious problem, but then its foundations have always been rather shaky: In the early days, gentlemen batted and their servants bowled and fielded. That's how it spread in the colonies as were.

Mrs @BoldonLad's version of the bolded part (from her childhood in the 1950s), is that "the boys batted, and bowled, the girls fielded. She was from a family of 10, 6 boys, so, outnumbered ;)

On a more serious note, prejudice is sadly a "feature" of society, cricket, football, etc are a subset of society.... hopefully we will eventually overcome ;)
 

Moodyman

Member
Indeed, as @Pale Rider says the 'P' word is often used Pakistanis and Indians as shorthand. There was a movement amongst Asian youth in the 90s and nougties to reclaim the word from white bigots and use it in the right context.

There was even an Asian fashion designer from Peterborough who designed a line of clothing that said 'Proud to be a P***'. Didn't last long - both the clothing and the attempt to economise a racist word didn't find fervour with its audience.
 
It certainly is a bit twisty turny, Azeem Rafiq giving emotinal tesimony to MPs about the racism at Yorkshire but conveniently forgetting that he's been a tad racist himself.

Azeem Rafiq apologises for historical anti-Semitic Facebook messages - BBC Sport

I'm sorry but it's nonsense on stilts to try and create some sort of equivalency between the treatment meted out to Rafiq as a cricketer and his own use of the old 'Jews are tight' meme in a social setting on Facebook. He's apologised and the Chair of the Board of Deputies appears to accept that 100%.

It's almost as if the Anti Semitic posts had been deliberately brought up to divert.
 

Cirrus

Active Member
I'm sorry but it's nonsense on stilts to try and create some sort of equivalency between the treatment meted out to Rafiq as a cricketer and his own use of the old 'Jews are tight' meme in a social setting on Facebook. He's apologised and the Chair of the Board of Deputies appears to accept that 100%.

It's almost as if the Anti Semitic posts had been deliberately brought up to divert.
Racism is racism, to his credit he's profusely apologised, he's still a hypocrite though.

Edited to add... "It's almost as if the Anti Semitic posts had been deliberately brought up to divert." So antisemetism isn't racist? Or is it the ok sort of racism?
 

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
Racism is racism, to his credit he's profusely apologised, he's still a hypocrite though.

Bit harsh?, more a human being, with, typical human failings. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, and all that. (amazed at myself for that one, must have learned it at Sunday. School, 70 years ago!).
 

Cirrus

Active Member
Bit harsh?, more a human being, with, typical human failings. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, and all that. (amazed at myself for that one, must have learned it at Sunday. School, 70 years ago!).
Casting stones whilst residing in glass houses etc etc
 
Top Bottom