Am I being a bit over-sensitive ?

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Just read this on cricinfo. Should/could have been an interesting artical about the two sides playing cricket, but came across as a rant against england and, as it turns out, his adopted country. Now while I dont expect many british asians to be clad in union jacks in the heart of the barmy army, I do expect respected pillers like cricinfo not let bile like this hit the net. I'm sure, after a persuasive email, they'll let me write "why I hate indian cricket", which will be bloody hard because despite this artical, I dont !

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisde...ry/238149.html

[Vrock]

It was also published in the magazine on page 38 for reference of the presently released issue. I think that what was written was a whole lot of rants about England blurred into one. I can't really decide what issues he was really trying to raise and I think it's just best to ignore it.

[Crunchy]

That article is nothing more than racist bile.

[Alison]

I was quite shocked when I read it in the magazine, it didn't seem the sort of article I'd expect from a reputable magazine (or website for that matter).

Mind you, when I thought about the article a bit more, it struck me that the writer was only showing himself up by demonstrating how much of his dislike for England was based on simple prejudice, and how little was based on anything relevant today.

[greg]

I bet that wouldn't have been published if the racism was the other way round.Just my opinion,which is sometimes wrong.

[Colourful Chaddi]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

Just read this on cricinfo. Should/could have been an interesting artical about the two sides playing cricket, but came across as a rant against england and, as it turns out, his adopted country.

Am I being a bit over-sensitive? Yes your are IMO.

Originally Posted by Dileep Premachandran

My dislike of English cricket

He is not being racist at all IMO, he is talking about his dislike for English cricket not English poeple in general. So how could his be racist?? I think it is okay for poeple to have a dislike for certain cricket teams, im sure many of your England fans dislike the Australian team.

Originally Posted by Crunchy

That article is nothing more than racist bile

His dislike for English cricket might have been influenced on the way 'coloured' poeple were treated by the English people. Maybe this is the reason he has great joy when England loses to Australia or any other teams. A example of this is here:

It being the 1980s, when monkey noises still greeted black footballers, I had quickly become aware that the colour of my skin mattered, and nothing gave me as much pleasure as seeing Viv Richards romp to 189 not out at Old Trafford. Gordon Greenidge's coruscating 214 at Lord's and the resulting blackwash were a bonus and years later, when King Viv told me that "it was all about getting respect", I knew exactly where he was coming from.

I myslef don't agree that his opinons were published from such a big magazine but I do disagree with the comment that his views are racist, he is not being racist, he is just showing his dislike of English cricket, I have read nothing in the article saying anything bad about the country itself.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

I do expect respected pillers like cricinfo not let bile like this hit the net.

No you are not being over sensitive Rich, but I put the blame on the media who reports what "blithering idiots" say, and allow them even to say what they want, at will and without restraint.

[Collyisamackem]

I don't rant much, but that article is a disgrace.

You (and I mean people in general, nobody specific) cannot refer to English people now or in the nineties based on what people were like when the slave trade operated, or even in the eighties. This is what the author is doing. England has changed since then (I should know, I grew up in the eighties and through the early nineties), and I personally refuse to be labelled in the same group as an eighties minority or a group of slave owners who are many decades dead. RBLC is certainly not being over-sensitive, and reacting entirely rightly to a terribly put-together article of low quality and abundant in vitriol. The author is certainly being racist, and it enfuriates me because in England we now constantly have to trip over accusatons that we are racist based on what a minority did in the eighties or people did 200 years ago.

The article has no place or value, and contributes nothing to a good and respected cricketing website, or to international relations and respect IMO, which is sad.

[Victor Frankenstein]

I'm quite shocked that a place as prestigious as Wisden would allow such a rant. I think it's a shame he feels like that, and he's most definately a racist, if he is to be judged by today's standards (which i don't agree with, but if someone says that sub-continent players have a tendancy to cheat is a racist then so is he).

Reason i'm shocked is that there is no journalistic value to that page, no worthy story or anecdote or reference to the game other than "i hate all the english" (and he does say english, not just english cricket team). There is no way they'd allow a "I hate all indians" (and i'd never want to see such a piece) article so why should this be any different? ah, i know why...

[Rachael]

I really couldn't care less about the anti-English dimension of the piece... but I do find it depressing that the chap in question responds emotionally to the prospect of the visit of national team and the prospect of it being beaten rather than responding cerebrally to the prospect of some potentially interesting and (one hopes) attractive cricket - but cricinfo is now increasingly pandering to "fans" rather than upholding the great literary traditions that have been developed around the sport by authors who at least ASPIRE to respond in a more thoughtful and objective manner as dispassionate observers of the game itself.