Even SA media alleges racism

When India take the field for the third cricket Test against South Africa at the Centurion on Friday, the visitors could look forward to support from unexpected quarters.

Don't be surprised if you see South African spectators waving the Indian flag and cheering Sachin Tendulakar or Sourav Ganguly, for public support in South Africa is with the "wronged" visitors.

South Africans, especially the expatriate Indian community, are stunned by the decision of the match referee of the India-South Africa series -- Mike Denness -- to penalise six Indian players, including Tendulkar, for various misdemeanours.

Tendulkar was fined 75 per cent of his match fee and received a suspended sentence of one Test match after he was found guilty of tampering with the ball. Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Deep Dasgupta and Shiv Sunder Das have been found guilty of excessive appealing.

While Sehwag has been handed a one-match suspension, the rest have been fined 75 per cent of their match fees.

The referee did not spare Indian captain Sourav Ganguly either, who was handed a suspended ban for one Test and two one-dayers until January 31, 2002, for not being able to control his team.

The South African media have come out in support of the Indians. "SA cricket row: now it's racism" -- screamed the lead story of the daily Citizen , as it related how South African cricket faced a fresh crisis and believed that the Indian cricket side should return home.

"Outrage in India casts a pall on tour," read the Business Day headline, as it reported that Indian cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya had been in contact with his South African counterpart Percy Sonn to express his "deep concerns" at the development.

Cricket fans are livid at the hint of racism in Denness's decisions. "Why do the white South African players get away with it in the same game, since Pollock and his team mates were also appealing ferociously when India batted?" asked Mohamed Kolvadia, an Indian expatriate.

"It's just a kind of racism. I think they just want to intimidate the sides from the Indian subcontinent by hiding behind the ICC and such bodies which are dominated by whites," added another cricket follower Abdul Hamid Khamissa, who said he had always been a South African supporter, but would be going to Centurion on Friday to show moral support for India.

Nitin Kumar was visibly angry as he spoke animatedly about how his idol, Tendulkar, had been done in. Kumar, who is originally from India's Gujarat state, also blasted the match referee for "victimising" the Indian players.

There was general disbelief at the fact that one of the cleanest players in the international game, Tendulkar, had been charged with ball tampering.

Both Ganguly and India coach John Wright have refused to be drawn in the controversy.

"I don't want to comment about that," Ganguly said at the end of the Test on Tuesday. Wright added that the matter was out of the hands of the team, as it had gone to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which has asked the ICC to remove Denness as referee for the third and final Test.

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed, who was in India on Tuesday, said he was aware of the BCCI complaints, and that ICC would announce its decision on Wednesday.

Indo-Asian News Service

The ball tampering controversy

India's tour of South Africa : Complete coverage

--Indo-Asian News Service

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