Australian fast bowler Megan Schutt recently criticized the conduct of fellow Australian internationals James Pattinson and Marcus Stoinis in the Big Bash League (BBL). The two cricketers were involved in the exchange of homophobic slurs.
Earlier, Pattinson made an unsavory joke towards his Brisbane Heat teammate Cameron Gannon. The two reportedly clashed during one of the Sheffield Shield games between Victoria and Queensland.
Pattinson was slapped with a level two breach of code of conduct by Cricket Australia. Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis was fined Australian $7,500 after his clash with Kane Richardson during the Melbourne derby clash in BBL. Both comments from Pattinson and Stoinis were found out to be homophobic in nature.
“I think it’s important to talk about it. I wasn’t angry as much as I was disappointed, which is such a bad thing to say. It’s disappointing that we still use that language, and I don’t believe that those boys actually are homophobic, I truly don’t. And they wouldn’t be saying it with that intent, but they’re still using the wrong words. Why can’t you just call someone a di****ad?,” Schutt told Sydney Morning Herald.
Schutt, herself an ambassador of the LGBT community, married her girlfriend Jess Hollyoake in March 2019.
“I haven’t been attacked for being a lesbian but I know men that have been for being gay. And the fact that it’s always men that are still using those derogatory terms is the most disappointing part of it because they’re going to have gay friends, whether they’re out to them or not,” added Schutt.
“And I said, ‘We can’t hide, this is a time to show support for everyone else around us’. No one who is trying to fight for same-sex marriage is having a good time right now so we need to stick together more than ever,” concluded the Australian fast bowler.
Melbourne Stars coach David Hussey later revealed that Stoinis was apologetic for his statement to Kane.
