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David Warner is not the issue, political correctness is

21st January, 2015
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David Warner could be saved by a team he has never quite seen eye-to-eye with. (AAP Image/David Crosling)
Roar Guru
21st January, 2015
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1522 Reads

It has been an explosive summer of cricket between the Australian and Indian teams, with tensions flaring between the likes of Virat Kohli and Brad Haddin, and now David Warner and Rohit Sharma.

Cricket is a sport synonymous with sledging and gamesmanship. Despite it being ‘the gentleman’s game’ it is expected that there will be at least one good verbal stoush per series; cast your mind back to the Michael Clarke broken arm controversy.

The latest controversy surrounds Warner demanding that Sharma “speak English” during a recent one day international.

For the uninitiated, the context of Warner’s request is as follows: Warner and Sharma engage in a staring match, Sharma begins to mouth off in his native tongue of Hindi, Warner invites Sharma to “speak English”, Sharma obliges and repeats his sledge in Warner’s native tongue, a brief, hushing hostility ensues, the game of cricket continues, and finally the two shake hands at the end of the match and life continues as normal… Right?

Sadly life has not continued as normal and instead shock jocks and disgraceful ‘journalists’ attempting to sell papers through sensationalism and claims of societal disillusionment have taken a brief sporting conflict and elevated it into the realms of a moral conundrum all in the name of agenda-bias political correctness.

Political correctness. Truly one of the ugliest phrases in the English language (considering we are speaking it in this article).

In the name of (selling papers and) political correctness, Warner has since been labeled as a racist and his actions have been deemed ‘unacceptable’, and he has been fined half his match fee.

I know recent events suggest the world has gone mad, but now I am all but convinced of it. Let us analyse the Warner and Sharma conflict just a tad more.

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It is a well-known fact that Sharma is fluent in both his native tongue Hindi and his second language English. What is an equally well-known fact is that despite consistent touring of the world the Australian team are not fluent in Hindi.

As previously addressed, sledging is commonplace in cricket; like it or not, it is a part of the game. Given how blatantly obvious it was that Sharma’s musings were directed squarely at Warner, would you not wish to know what was being said about you? Particularly when you are aware that your antagonist has the ability to say it to you in a language you understand? Any rational person would. Warner’s “speak English” comment is a legitimate request, not a racially provoked retort, and he should not even have to defend saying it.

To hide behind a language barrier is cowardice and to Sharma’s credit upon Warner’s insistence he did in fact repeat his sledge to Warner in English. These two players later left the field with a handshake, the issue should have been finished then and there.

Sharma’s sledge is entirely irrelevant, as is the fact that Warner has described the sledge as not being “appropriate to repeat”.

The manner in which Warner requested that Sharma “speak English” has now been suggested as the cause for concern, further proving the insistence to make this sporting conflict into a major issue by pockets of the media.

Having played competitive sport my whole I have endured my share of rivalries and sledges from opposition players and dished out just as many. I can also safely confirm for those of you in your glass houses that no one looks as if they are inviting you to a tea party when engaging in a conflict.

Then there’s the fact that only Warner’s movements seem to be of concern. That Sharma at the same moment advanced on Warner and engaged in an argument isn’t of any concern to the agenda setters – no, that would be far too logical.

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These are not statements or opinions of ignorance – as I can only predict will be spouted out from the politically correct do gooders – these are facts and rational judgments. The true source of ignorance is to turn a blind eye to the respective parties at the centre of the conflict, neither of whom (nor any members of the respective teams) have claimed the conflict to be racially motivated.

This is competitive sport, a personal rivalry and conflict between two cricket players. It is not in the same class as the Andrew Symonds ‘Monkey’ scandal and is far less explicit then Clarke informing Anderson of his impending fracture.

Political correctness do gooders, do the nation a favour: simmer down, pad up, be ready to face the next delivery, and above all, leave it on the pitch.

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