Ravichandran Ashwin
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed desire to meet an Indian fan who was allegedly racially profiled and abused by a security officer during the third Test of the Australia-India series.
Krishna Kumar, an Indian fan, had met NSW legal personnel to lodge an official complaint about the incident, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Kumar said that he felt "stripped and naked" due to the disturbing event where he was stopped from bringing in four banners into the SCG stadium in Sydney.
Written on paper roll, they said: "Rivalry is good, racism is not", "No racism mate", "Brown inclusion matters" and "Cricket Australia -- more diversity please".
"He told me, ''If you need to address this matter, go back to where you belong. It was a very small banner. I made it out of my kids' paper roll," said Kumar.
Kumar also said that the same official told junior guards to "make sure we give him a complete frisking when he gets back".
"To me, this is a pure case of profiling. They changed their entire formation so the guy next to the boundary is standing right in front of me and facing me," he said.
"I'm not looking for compensation, I'm not looking for free tickets, I'm not looking for a membership. I want justice. I want accountability. I was feeling stripped, feeling watched and I went there to fight racism. Why should I be stopped from addressing racism, especially at a ground where it was debatable whether it was happening or not?"
Responding to the fan through Wide World of Sport's tweet, Ashwin wrote, "How can I reach you Krishna Kumar?? Well done."
During the third Test, India pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah were also targeted with racial abuse by a section of the crowd. After Siraj faced further abuse from the crowd on Sunday, the security officials removed six fans from the stadium. Cricket Australia had also issued an unreserved apology to the Indian cricket team.
The Indian team, led by Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari's gritty knocks, drew the Sydney Test before defeating the Aussies in the fourth and final Test and clinching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. Rishabh Pant slammed a match-defining knock in the fourth and final Test as India toppled the hosts for the first time in 32 years at The Gabba.
