Debasis Sen, Melbourne: Did anyone expect Virat Kohli to face racial taunts here in Australia? On Friday, it did happened so as a group of spectators were heard shouting racial taunts targeted at the Indian players and fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Victoria Police had to intervene as the situation seemed to be going out of hand. The spectators at MCG’s famous Bay 13 were warned to cease racially motivated taunting of Indian players and spectators after multiple complaints over the first two days of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Chants of “show us your visa” were a regular feature of the first two days, leading to a formal warning from Cricket Australia to spectators in the public area in the bottom tier of the MCG’s Great Southern Stand that if the chanting did not stop then the entire bay would be ejected from the ground.
The footage of that chanting video is in possession of Cricket Australia who in turn has passed it on to the Victorian Police and Stadium management. Victorian Police were seen at the Bay 13 where the spectators were chanting the racial taunts.
“Victoria Police and stadium security are monitoring the behaviour of the crowd in that section of the stadium,” a CA spokesperson said, “and have had several discussions with those fans in that bay to remind them about appropriate crowd behaviour, as per venue entry terms and conditions.”
Other chants from the bay, such as “Kohli’s a wanker”, was the cause for some complaints from other spectators but not deemed worthy of a warning. This is not the first time that a cricketer has to face such abusive taunts. Even the great Sir Richard Hadlee had to face barracking at the MCG. It has been a growing concern for the MCG atmosphere in the recent years.