An Australian spectator has received a harsh punishment for writing a racist message on a fence during the first day of the ongoing Test against South Africa at Bellerive Oval. The local spectator will now face a three-year ban from attending any matches in Australia and also a criminal prosecution for the message that was targeted towards South Africa’s Hashim Amla.
In a statement released by Cricket Australia, a board spokesperson confirmed the incident and said that the Tasmania Police have identified the culprit.
“Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania can confirm a crowd behaviour issue that occurred on day one of the Commonwealth Bank Test match against South Africa in Hobart,” the spokesperson said.
“Tasmania Police identified the person of interest through CCTV and witnesses in the area. Cricket Australia has issued the person with a three-year ban from any Cricket Australia match, nationally.
The spokesperson said the cricket board will not tolerate such incidents and the spectators face dire consequences for such actions.
“Cricket Australia takes a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour at any of our matches, which includes racial vilification. “Our message to any fan attending a match is that if you display anti-social behaviour, you will be removed and risk being banned from any cricket match across Australia, as well as police action being taken,” the spokesperson added.
In a statement released by Cricket South Africa, the cricket board condemned the ‘unacceptable’ incident and thanked their Australian counterpart for their stern action towards the spectator.
The statement said: “We have been informed that the man has been formally charged and has been handed a three-year ban from the stadium.
“From our point of view, it is disappointing and disconcerting because this is not the first act of racial vilification we have received while touring Australia over the years. It is unacceptable. There is absolutely no place for racial stereotyping and such offensive acts in society, let alone in sport.
“We thank Cricket Australia and the authorities for dealing with the matter in a swift, professional and stern way and for carrying out the full might of the law.”