IND vs ENG 2022, Edgbaston Test: Reports of racist abuse in stands; Warwickshire, ECB to investigate

There have been reports of racial abuse against Indian fans at Edgbaston. Warwickshire and ECB have vowed to investigate the same.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Edgbaston operator, Warwickshire Cricket Club, will be investigating incidents of racial abuse following complaints on Twitter by Indian fans. Azeem Rafiq, a former British-Asian cricketer who has fought through racist abuse, was one of the fan’s most prominent allies as they faced horrifying abuse from the English Crowd. 

A fan on Twitter said, “Racist behaviour at @Edgbaston towards Indian fans in block 22 Eric Hollies. People calling us Curry C**ts and paki bas****s. We reported it to the stewards and showed them the culprits at least ten times, but no response and all we were told is to sit in our seats. @ECB_cricket”. The fan also added, “We were also fearful of our safety for women and children, but no assistance when we left. This is unacceptable in today’s society “.

Among many others, Another fan on Twitter shared their unfortunate incident at Edgbaston, as they wrote, “So much for battling racism in cricket!! @Edgbaston was horrific today. So many complaints made to stewards. However, said person was not removed. So disappointed in what we had to face most of the day.”

Following the complaints made by the fans online, the Warwickshire CCC and Edgbaston Stadium said they would investigate the matter as soon as possible. A statement on the Edgbaston Stadium’s official website read, “Having seen the initial tweets, I’ve spoken personally to the gentleman who raised them, and we’re now speaking to the stewards in this area to establish what happened. Nobody should be subject to any form of abuse at Edgbaston. So, once we’ve all the facts, we will ensure this issue is addressed swiftly.”