By Mike Tuckerman
9 Dec 2013
Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
If football is the world game, (click here) then Australians must not only accept competing against the world’s best, but also be willing to open their arms to the many cultures which enjoy this truly global sport....
...So it was interesting to see the official Twitter account of Cricket Australia tweet a photo with the caption “will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?” about the popular English cricketer on Friday morning....
...Born in Luton, Panesar is a patka-wearing Sikh who remains a fan-favourite for his sharp-turning off-breaks, occasionally erratic fielding and trademark bushy beard.
In an age where taking offence and responding with apocalyptic-level vitriol resembles a competitive online sport, what made anyone at Cricket Australia think that inviting the Twittersphere to scrutinise its attitudes towards cultural diversity was a good idea?
9 Dec 2013
Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
If football is the world game, (click here) then Australians must not only accept competing against the world’s best, but also be willing to open their arms to the many cultures which enjoy this truly global sport....
...So it was interesting to see the official Twitter account of Cricket Australia tweet a photo with the caption “will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?” about the popular English cricketer on Friday morning....
...Born in Luton, Panesar is a patka-wearing Sikh who remains a fan-favourite for his sharp-turning off-breaks, occasionally erratic fielding and trademark bushy beard.
What Cricket Australia thought it would achieve by tweeting a photo of four turban-wearing individuals seemingly dressed as Teletubbies is anyone’s guess, but the social media faux pas offers a starting point for a discussion on Australian perceptions of race.
In an age where taking offence and responding with apocalyptic-level vitriol resembles a competitive online sport, what made anyone at Cricket Australia think that inviting the Twittersphere to scrutinise its attitudes towards cultural diversity was a good idea?
There’ll be those who argue the tweet wasn’t racist in the first place, but it’s hard to see Cricket Australia tweeting something similar about Australian players Usman Khawaja or Fawad Ahmed.
And though it’s hard to quantify the hunch, it strikes me as an interesting coincidence that many of those who proclaim most loudly that Australia is not a racist nation, appear to be both Caucasian and born and raised in Australia....
