Whether it’s growing up watching it in their living rooms or learning how to play in the backyard, appreciating cricket is arguably a rite of passage for many South Asians – both in the subcontinent and in Australia. It’s therefore hardly a surprise to see many proud brown faces in the crowd at live stadium matches, just as we’ve seen over the past few weeks when India versed Australia during the Test series in several major Aussie capital cities.
But the loud passion in the stands has been as intimidating as it has been intense to some, with a recent social media video surfacing of Australian fans chanting, “Where’s your visa?” towards fans of Indian heritage during the 4th Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Unsurprisingly, the remark has sparked plenty of online discussion. While some believe it’s merely “banter”, many South Asian fans in particular have deemed it “racist” on social media.
Cricket Australia has responded after the incident went viral, telling Draw Your Box that spectators should “show respect and courtesy” towards others when attending live matches.
“Cricket Australia encourages all those attending our matches to show respect and courtesy to fellow attendees to ensure everyone has a great experience,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said in a statement issued exclusively to Draw Your Box.
“We encourage anyone who experiences inappropriate behaviour to alert security using the antisocial behaviour hotline.”
The MCG states on its website that people can “can report anti-social behaviour anonymously via text message to the dedicated security number +61 409 117 621”.
Where’s your visas? This is pure racism happening inside the stadium. Unacceptable behavior! #SayNoToRacism #CricketForAll #INDvsAUS #AUSvINDIA
— fan 🏏 (@fan_cricket_) January 3, 2025
pic.twitter.com/aMLasrVaeS
This isn’t the first time that cricket involving Australia and India has courted controversy and conversations around racism.
In 2021, the Indian cricket team lodged an official complaint after bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj complained of hearing racist slurs while fielding near the boundary rope at Sydney Cricket Ground. As Editor at HuffPost Australia at the time, Draw Your Box founder Alicia Vrajlal interviewed some Indian Australians, who said racism at the cricket was “all too familiar” and a deterrent from attending matches in-person.
“As much as I absolutely love cricket, I’ve made the conscious choice to avoid going to Australia vs India cricket matches for the last few years now primarily because I can’t remember a time where I attended such a match without hearing some kind of racist comment in the crowd (whether it was aimed at players or other spectators),” Khushaal Vyas told HuffPost Australia at the time.
The Australian-born cricket fan, whose parents migrated to Australia from India in the 1980s, said “there’s no worse feeling than baring the uncomfortable silence and disappointed sighs from your parents, extended family and ethnic friends while you’re trying to enjoy a day out together, only to overhear the same ‘Go back to where you came from you smelly curry’ that you heard last time India was playing”.
Vyas, who’s also a co-host of the Unboxed podcast (which is produced by this masthead), also expressed his frustrations around racism at the cricket in a viral video shared to Instagram over the weekend.
Comedian Nazeem Hussain also spoke out in 2021 about facing racial microgressions while attending cricket matches involving South Asian teams.
“Can’t remember attending a single Aus V Sri Lanka/India/Pakistan/Bangladesh cricket match where the chant ‘SHOW US YOUR VISA’ has not been chanted. No exaggeration. Uncles respond by waving credit cards,” he tweeted at the time.
Can’t remember attending a single Aus V Sri Lanka/India/Pakistan/Bangladesh cricket match where the chant ‘SHOW US YOUR VISA 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽’ has not been chanted. No exaggeration. Uncles respond by waving credit cards 💳#strayanvalues https://t.co/zC50jPLUSh
— Nazeem Hussain (@nazeem_hussain) January 10, 2021
Speaking of the ‘visa’ comment, similar remarks were made in 2018 during the first two days of the Boxing Day match between Australia and India at the MCG. Social media videos showed chanting of “Show us your visa” towards Indian players and spectators, which led to multiple complaints and a formal warning from Cricket Australia.
“Cricket Australia takes a zero tolerance stance against any form of abuse or racial vilification at any of our matches, whether it be towards fans, players, or staff,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said at the time, according to ESPNcricinfo.
“Fans are able to report this to stadium staff or security. Victoria Police and MCG stadium security monitored the behaviour of the crowd in a section of the stadium today and evicted several fans for inappropriate behaviour. They will continue to monitor the area for remaining days of the Test.”
In December 2023, former cricketer and head coach of the India national cricket team Ravi Shashtri said the tide was changing.
“The reason why it’s [India and Australia cricket] so intense is because crowds in both countries are extremely passionate about the game,” he told Draw Your Box at the 2023-2024 Kayo Sports Summer of Cricket launch in Sydney.
“I think there are rules being put into place now, and announcements being made on the ground,” he added in regard to curbing racism and sledging. “So in the last few times we have come here, it’s been fine.”
Meanwhile Cricket Australia launched its Multicultural Action plan in late 2023, where the governing body announced 10 key actions including funding and support to increase multicultural representation in the sport, including South Asian representation.
South Asian communities have been deemed critical in the growth of the sport in Australia, with Cricket Australia outlining its hopes to double the number of South Asian people attending matches to 200,000 each annual season, and increase South Asian registered players by 30,000 by 2027.
“Almost 20 per cent of participants are of South Asian cultural background and in last year’s youth national championship carnivals 18 per cent of competing players were of South Asian cultural background,” said Cricket Australia’s Head of Community Cricket and Capability James Allsopp.
Usman Khawaja has been a pivotal part in developing out Multicultural Action Plan, and we're incredibly proud to have him representing Australian cricket on and off the cricket field! #ASportForAll pic.twitter.com/S8pCSFtyZM
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) December 22, 2023
Pakistani Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has been one of the high-profile faces fronting the initiative.
Speaking at the Multicultural Action Plan’s launch in 2023, Khawaja opened up about some of the challenges during his career as a South Asian Australian cricketer. “All my coaches were white Australian, all the selectors were white Australian and they didn’t really understand me or my culture,” he said.
“For a long time Cricket Australia has been a very white-dominated sport,” he added. “Hopefully this will be a legacy that lasts long into the future where we can see greater representation, both male and female, in Australian cricket.”
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