Edgbaston Test: Police investigation launched into racist abuse of Indian fans

WHILE the world remained glued to the 22 yards as England and India battled for the laurels in the delayed fifth Test of the 2021 series at Edgbaston, there were allegations of racist behaviour in the stands on the fourth day of the match when the home team wrested the game’s control from the visitors.

West Midlands Police have launched a criminal probe into the fans’ behaviour at the venue on the fourth day after the charges of racism surfaced, The Guardian reported.

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The social media was flooded with claims on Monday (4) that several supporters in the ground faced racial abuse. Some of them contained images of an individual allegedly involved in the incidents. Officials at the stadium promised to investigate the matter and after the police announcement of the probe, said that anybody found guilty would be barred from entering any cricket venue in the country, the report added.

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“We’re liaising with Edgbaston officials to understand what’s happened and would encourage anyone who heard any racist language or gestures, or has video footage that could help, to get in touch,” West Midlands police said in a statement.

“We’re aware of images circulating on social media showing an alleged offender. We’re making enquiries to identify the person and would urge him to come forward and speak to us.”

Many of those who alleged racism said no action was taken against the guilty even after they reported abuse to the stewards. Warwickshire, whose home is Edgbaston, said their stewards did a commendable job in handling the situation, the Guardian report added.

“I have spoken to those who raised the issue on social media, the stewards managing the Eric Hollies stand and the police,” Stuart Cain, the chief executive at Edgbaston was quoted as saying. “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.”

Cain added that the best course of action for anyone who faces abuse in the ground is to report it through the Edgbaston smartphone app.

“This allows people to anonymously report abuse directly to the control room so that the stewards and police can take immediate action,” he said. “There was a separate incident reported via the app yesterday, which was dealt with in less than 10 minutes and led to the ejection of three fans.”

Edgbaston will host the second T20 international on July 9 and the organisers will contact all ticket-holders for the weekend game and remind them of the venue’s policy on abuse and about the app so that timely steps are taken if there are more unpleasant incidents happening.

“Everybody should feel safe and welcome at Edgbaston, and we will continue to work hard to deliver this expectation,” Cain said.

Concerned, says England cricket board

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it was concerned to hear the reports of racism aimed at Indian fans. It said it was in touch “with colleagues at Edgbaston” who would probe the matter.

Azeem Rafiq, the former Yorkshire cricketer who had raised racist allegations and bullying in Yorkshire, spoke about some tweets that described the racist abuse of Indian fans happening in the Edgbaston crowd.

The ECB tweeted that there was no place for racism in cricket, saying it will investigate the matter.

"We are very concerned to hear reports of racist abuse at today's Test match. We are in contact with colleagues at Edgbaston who will investigate. There is no place for racism in cricket," the tweet said.