A video that appears to show some cricket fans singing a racist chant at the Boxing Day Test at the MCG has made headlines in India after circulating online.
In the video, which ABC has chosen not to republish, some supporters were recorded chanting “where’s your visa”, apparently directed at Indian fans.
The video was filmed on the final day of the fourth Test between Australia and India.
Cricket fans from Melbourne’s Indian community told the ABC the chant was “not appropriate,” and could make some feel unwelcome, but appeared to be an isolated incident in a Test match that attracted record crowds.
Victoria Police said it attended the areas where the filmed chant took place on day five of the Test, but said no formal complaints were made and taunts were being exchanged between two groups.
“On Day 5 (December 30), officers were deployed to specific aisles in response to two opposing supporter groups who were taunting and waving flags at each other,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
Victoria Police said no criminal offences were detected, and the ABC understands no supporters were kicked out or sanctioned following the chant.
Indian fans show support during the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG. (AAP: James Ross)
Police said they were otherwise “overwhelmingly pleased” with crowd behaviour at the Test, which was attended by more than 370,000 people.
That view was shared by the Melbourne Cricket Club, which runs the MCG, and Cricket Australia, which said the record crowds created “an amazing atmosphere” for fans.
Neither the MCG or Cricket Australia said they received any formal complaints over the chant.
Both encouraged fans to show respect and report antisocial behaviour where it happens.
“It is extremely disappointing to see incidents of this nature took place in what was otherwise well-behaved record crowds across five days,” an MCG spokesperson said.
“The MCG takes any form of racial vilification very seriously — we work very hard to create a safe and inclusive environment for all fans.”
Despite confusion the same chant might have been repeated during the fifth Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in January, the SCG said it had not received any formal complaints.
The video widely republished by various media outlets, including the Hindustan Times and India Today, shows the MCG.
In 2018 it was reported that nearly a dozen fans were ejected from the Boxing Day Test at the MCG against over a similar chant.
Advocate says chants can be ‘hurtful’ to fans, deter attendance
Cricket Australia multicultural ambassador Molina Asthana attended the Boxing Day Test, including on day five, when the video was taken, and said she did not see anything like it during her time at the match.
“I had a brilliant time, I thought it was lots of people enjoying the game,” she said.
Ms Asthana is also the founder of a not-for-profit organisation called Multicultural Women in Sport, which aims to increase the number of women from diverse backgrounds engaging with sport.
Molina Asthana with Consul-General of India, Dr Sushil Kumar (L) and Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley at the Australia-India Boxing Day Test. (Supplied: Molina Asthana)
She said chants like the one in the video could make people from diverse backgrounds feel unwelcome, deterring them not just from coming to watch sport, but from sport participation more broadly.
“If these chants were against people attending, when they are really Australian-Indians, then that is hurtful because this is home for them as well,” she said.
“And who knows who they are supporting, because I support Australia most of the time except for when they are playing India.”
Ms Asthana said she also felt it was important to “keep sport in its context” and not give the harmful chants too much power.
“You do see that kind of stuff [provoking chants] happening at the AFL, like between Collingwood and Carlton fans … and we don’t give it much attention because it’s happening within two homogenous groups that support different teams,” she said.
That was a view shared by Vasan Srinivasan, who is a Victorian-Indian community leader and cricket fan.
He agreed the chant was “not appropriate” but acknowledged it was difficult to control large crowds in a sports environment, especially when alcohol was involved.
He said there was no need to place too much emphasis on the video, given so many Indian cricket fans — including his family — loved attending the Test and did not witness bad behaviour.
“It was a very nail-biting game … each team was giving it back to each other,” he said.
“Occasionally incidents happen but as long as we respect each other in the future … we can only blame things to a certain level, the rest we need to educate.”
Meanwhile, another Indian-Australian cricket fan who had seen the video being shared online said it was important to call the language out for what it was.
“These words don’t go for sports spirit or team spirit … targeting someone based on their migration status is not OK,” Melbourne accountant Raj Mann said.
“Sports should not have those words.”
