IPL commentator Danny Morrison in trouble over his attire in Mohali
IPL commentator Danny Morrison in trouble over his attire in Mohali

The amount of entertainment that the Indian Premier League provides not only on the field but off it has been one of the major reasons for its vast success all over the world.

But at times, in their bid to provide quality entertainment, the IPL organizers take drastic steps to increase the viewership and one such idea has been met with a lot of criticism recently.

Before the start of the game between the Kings XI Punjab and the Royal Challengers Bangalore a couple of days ago, New Zealand commentator Danny Morrison sported a new look that has attracted a lot of attention.

Standing alongside Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay, the captains of the respective teams for the toss, Danny Morrison was seen wearing a red turban and a fake beard when spinning the coin.

Commentator-Danny-Morrison-Indian-impersonation-during-an-IPL-game

Ever since, the 50-year old has been openly criticized on media and social media and has been under severe scrutiny for his actions especially in the city which is dominated by the Sikh-community.

However, Morrison was quick to defend himself saying that his outfit got a nod ahead from the IPL broadcasters and that it was not demeaning to any community.

He tweeted “Dear sports fans, especially those in UK / SA / NZ..host broadcaster Sony tv asked me to dress up & we cleared wth bosses!”

Here is the tweet:

 

However, he was bashed on the social media side Twitter as some fans even felt that his commentary career was over.

https://twitter.com/AltCricket/status/729682007513501696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

But his apparel seems to not have stirred the officials of the IPL and the outrage on social media has not affected the personnel or the competition.

To add on, Morrison also received words of support from his home country.

“In my personal view, I didn’t think it was offensive,” Bhikhu Bhana, president of the NZICA, told Stuff.co.nz.

“When you look at Danny Morrison, and I’m an avid cricket follower, he welcomed everyone in a place called Mohali, which is in the Punjab.

“Cricket can open bridges really and I think Danny tries to do it sometimes. Look at the crowds there. They’re having a good time. From my point of view, I can see nothing culturally offensive from Danny Morrison,” he added.

Known for his over-the-top comments, Morrison should not be careful not to further dent his relationship with the viewers in the country.