The First Test between Pakistan and South Africa is being played at Centurion, and I found this article as I was burrowing through Cricinfo for the latest: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/rsavpak/content/current/story/276456.html
The gist of the article is this:
"...South African officials are investigating an incident during the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan in which an unnamed South African allegedly made an insulting remark which was heard by television viewers around the world.
"They're like animals," was the comment picked up by a stump microphone which apparently had not been turned off as normally happens soon after a ball has been bowled..."
SA coach Mickey Arthur was understandably displeased about the whole affair, and he clarified that the comment was not made at any Pakistan player, though he stopped short of saying exactly whom one of his players thought were like animals :)It seems that SA left-armer Paul Harris was abused by some Pakistan supporters while he was fielding at the boundary, and the people in question were ejected from the stadium. While the comment itself leaves much to the imagination, I guess I would not buy the idea so easily that it was an insult aimed at a player. The test has been played in good spirit, and as I write this a somewhat interesting final day remains to be played out. However, several people don't believe so, and Arthur revealed that he had received complaining emails from Pakistan!
The whole incident is, on the surface, thoroughly hilarious, as far as I'm concerned. It is one thing to heap the responsibility of being politically correct, humane and compassionate human beings on prominent sportsmen, given the amount of spotlight they are in, and it is yet another thing to expect them to be gentlemen even on the field, EVEN when they are speaking among themselves!
Let us say that Mr. JH Kallis thinks that XYZ resembles some kind of animal, and he says so to Mr. HH Gibbs, in a perfectly amiable conversation, and they share a snigger at a men's joke. But that becomes a problem for a guy sitting 5,000 miles away, and armed with a deep distrust of the South African psyche with regards to racial issues, he gets incensed and addresses his grievances to the SA coach.
Really, I can't imagine how Arthur would have reacted to the first sight of such a complaint!
There are other things to think about as well. For the sake of raising questions, here I go:
One: Is calling someone an animal serious enough for Match Referees to get involved, as Chris Broad might do?
Two: How useful are the on-field microphones? Are they creating more chaos than the benefits they provide?
Three: Should the live feed be made accessible to television viewers, when there is no monitoring of the same?
Four: Was it right for the SA player in question to call the unruly spectators 'animals'? (assuming they were the ones being referred to)
Five: Are subcontinental viewers more touchy than they should be when it comes to racial issues?
Six: The SA players see as much sledging from the crowd in Australia, as a pig sees mud. Would Aussie supporters have been called 'animals'? (I don't imply that those folks would have been invited for drinks, but would the terms of endearment be any different?)
Seven: Which type of animal, Mr. SA player? Pleaeeeeeeeeeese! I SO want to know how good your zoology is!
:D
Adios!
