Another Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be marred by an alleged racially charged comment? Everyone in Indian and Australian cricket remembers the 2008 Monkeygate scandal. Things went to such an extreme that Team India threatened to pull out of the series after Harbhajan Singh was handed a 3-match ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for allegedly racially abusing Andrew Symonds.
Jasprit Bumrah racially maligned?
The situation is a bit different now. An Indian players seems to be the target now. In the first session on Day 2 of the Australia vs India Test, Jasprit Bumrah was called a ‘primate’. The comment was made on the air by British commentator Isa Guha, who labeled the Indian pacer as ‘The Most Valuable Primate’.
“He’s (Jasprit Bumrah) the MVP, isn’t he. The Most Valuable Primate.” Guha said on air.
Her sentiments seemed to be positive, as he lauded Bumrah afterwards, she added, “Jasprit Bumrah, he is the one that is going to do all the talking for India and why so much focus was on him in the build up to this Test match and whether he would be fit.” But the damage was done.
Monkeygate 2.0?
The word primate has two meanings. Scientifically, it means an ape without a tail. But it has some serious negative connotations in general. Many use it as a slur to insult people, disparaging them while referring to their race or intelligence. Symonds all those years back had alleged that Harbhajan had done exactly what Guha had done, how this incident will transpire is yet to be seen.
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