Zaahier Adams
AUCKLAND: The South African team management have dismissed any suggestion that leg-spinner Imran Tahir was “racially” abused during Tuesday’s Cricket World Cup encounter against Ireland at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
Tahir, one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament, was fielding on the boundary during Ireland’s pursuit of the Proteas total of 411/4 when a spectator started heckling the Pakistani-born bowler. South Africa won by 201 runs and will face Pakistan on Saturday.
Although media reports in Australia have indicated that Tahir, who has a thick beard, was told “Why don’t you go stroke your pet camel?”, the Proteas have stressed that the heckling was not “derogatory”.
“Imran Tahir was taunted on the boundary from members of the crowd and reported the suspect to our security manager, Zunaid Wadee, who reprimanded the suspect. It is not clear what was said, but none of it was racial or derogatory,” Proteas team manager Mohammed Moosajee said.
“The same suspect, along with his friend, was then involved in another incident involving Kyle Abbott later. They were subsequently evicted from the stadium by the ICC security team.”
The Proteas have previously experienced racial abuse in Australia in 2006, when several players were branded “k******” and “k***** brothers” by sections of the Waca Ground crowd during a Test match in Perth. At the time, former South African cricket boss Ali Bacher called on the ICC to hand out life bans to the alleged perpetrators.