In a shocking turn of events, several Indian fans were subjected to racial abuse during the recently-concluded rescheduled fifth Test match between India and England at Edgbaston in Birmingham. This incident came to light after some of the fans took to social media and posted photos and videos of the incident, claiming that no action was taken despite their complaints to the concerned authorities.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gave a statement and apologised for the incident while also promising a probe. Edgbaston stadium’s chief executive issued a statement and condemned the incident. Now, police have also launched a criminal investigation into claims of racist abuse.
In a statement released immediately after England completed a seven-wicket victory before lunch on the final day of the match, Stuart Cain, the Warwickshire’s chief executive, said the club had provided the CCTV images and information to the police, mentioning that the guilty persons will be banned from Edgbaston and other venues around the country.
“Any form of abuse isn’t acceptable in life or sport. So, I’m angry about the fact that people think it’s acceptable at an international cricket event and apologise for the distress it’s caused. I have spoken to those who raised the issue on social media, the stewards managing the Eric Hollies Stand and the police,” said Cain, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“There has been a great atmosphere over five days involving more than 100,000 England and India fans, but when this issue was reported to the stewards, they couldn’t pinpoint where the alleged abuse was coming from, so stewards and the police monitored the area until close of play. However, we actively support police action in alleged cases of abuse and have provided them with CCTV imagery and further information, which has led to them launching a criminal investigation,” he added.
