Cricket is one sport played by all and loved by all. It is a sport that brings the world together. Ross Taylor has spoken about racism. But is there a space for differentiating in this sport? Ross Taylor has spoken about racism. Is there a space for people who indulge in racism in this sport the question? Ross Taylor the legend of New Zealand cricket, one of the best batters to ever wear the Black Cap has opened up about casual racism in New Zealand Cricket. In his book “Black and White” which he published after his retirement he mentioned about few such instances. Here is an in-depth look:
Ross Taylor Opens Up About Racist Behavior in New Zealand Cricket:
Ross Taylor is the first player from the Samoan Community to represent New Zealand. In his autobiography titled “Black and White,” he recalled a few instances of Racism regarding the same in the NZ team. “I was always an anomaly”, is what he said.
He further referred to a few instances. “Cricket in New Zealand is a pretty white sport. For much of my career, I’ve been an anomaly, a brown face in a vanilla line-up. That has challenges, many of which aren’t readily apparent to your teammates or the cricketing public. In many ways, dressing-room banter is the barometer. A teammate used to tell me, ‘You’re half a good guy, Ross, but which half is good? You don’t know what I’m referring to. I was pretty sure I did”, is what Ross had to say.
Mike Sandle and Mike Hesson Were Also Talked About in the Book:
He expressed his concern over these race-oriented comments in the dressing room which were often hidden under the name of “Banter”. And he couldn’t raise a voice as he didn’t intend to be a spoilsport or face an eventual consequence.
In one incident Ross recalled how his wife Victoria got a call from Mike Sandle (Former NZ Manager and Coach) regarding the Samoan Sportspersons finding it difficult to manage money. And if Ross was struggling with the same too!
In another incident, he also called out former coach and the current “Director of Cricket Operations and Royal Challengers Bangalore”, Mike Hesson. He said, “When I came back into the team after the captaincy drama, I found myself sitting next to (coach) Mike Hesson in the Koru Lounge at Dunedin Airport. He’d come straight from his house. ‘My cleaner’s Samoan,’ he said. ‘She’s a lovely lady, hard-working, very trustworthy. All I could say was, ‘Oh, cool.
Ross Taylor: No Place for Racism in Cricket:
It was just two years ago that Azim Rafique and the Yorkshire Cricket Club indulged in a legal battle over racism in cricket. “Taking the knee” and promoting “Cricket for all” has now become standard practice. In all possible ways, the sport tries to bring individuals together. But incidents like these leave a sour taste in the mouth of players and even the cricket community.
To know more go to Asia Cup: Top 3 Best Indian Players Who Missed out on the Asia Cup 2022 Squad.
Read more at Indian Team: Predicting the Best Playing XI for Asia Cup 2022, Preview, Squad.
To know more go to the official website of the NZC Board.
