Gary Ballance Statement

[paranoidandroid]

In fact, assuming everyone else should be judged as racist because they use a term differently to you is a bit racist itself...

Classic England really, world's most condescending country.

[secretzimbo]

I haven't gone through the whole saga, but I feel that it is entirely possible for a non-UK person to assume that the word paki is just a shorthand reference to a "Pakistani" national. I may be wrong, but I feel it has no such racial meaning or anything on those lines here in the subcontinent at least. It is quite likely a case of someone in the UK using it in derogatory sense at some point and then it becoming a taboo to use that word. Indeed, in the UK, it might have developed racial connotations over the years, but to expect everyone around the world to be aware of it and react accordingly would be foolish. I'm not saying Ballance or anyone else said this without enough knowledge, but it is quite possible for an Indian or a Sri Lankan to refer to a Pakistani friend in this manner without even realizing that it could have these kind of ramifications.

As has been mentioned, in the UK that word definitely is completely unacceptable. And Ballance has lived there for a long time and definitely should have known better.

Again though, this is way bigger than 1 player or 1 word.

Some of the stuff being leaked on twitter is erm.......not pleasant at all. When the full reports gets released/leaked I think the whole cricketing world will be in shock.

Here's a taste (definitely nsfw....)
https://twitter.com/JayDansinghani/stat ... 5902502924

Also a rumour doing the rounds that un-named drunk Yorkshire players pissed on an Asian players head from a balcony above whilst shouting racist abuse.....

[slcricfan1]

I haven't gone through the whole saga, but I feel that it is entirely possible for a non-UK person to assume that the word paki is just a shorthand reference to a "Pakistani" national. I may be wrong, but I feel it has no such racial meaning or anything on those lines here in the subcontinent at least. It is quite likely a case of someone in the UK using it in derogatory sense at some point and then it becoming a taboo to use that word. Indeed, in the UK, it might have developed racial connotations over the years, but to expect everyone around the world to be aware of it and react accordingly would be foolish. I'm not saying Ballance or anyone else said this without enough knowledge, but it is quite possible for an Indian or a Sri Lankan to refer to a Pakistani friend in this manner without even realizing that it could have these kind of ramifications.

As has been mentioned, in the UK that word definitely is completely unacceptable. And Ballance has lived there for a long time and definitely should have known better.

Again though, this is way bigger than 1 player or 1 word.

Some of the stuff being leaked on twitter is erm.......not pleasant at all. When the full reports gets released/leaked I think the whole cricketing world will be in shock.

Here's a taste (definitely nsfw....)
https://twitter.com/JayDansinghani/stat ... 5902502924

Also a rumour doing the rounds that un-named drunk Yorkshire players pissed on an Asian players head from a balcony above whilst shouting racist abuse.....

wow, didnt expect that at such a high level of cricket. Gave English cricket the benefit of the doubt when it came to all these accusations of being deeply racist but now... Even though these are allegations, there must be some truth to at least a couple

[CrimsonAvenger]

It is really ugly.

[Zimco]

All hell has broken loose. Yorkshire are in deep shit and yeah i can't see Ballance getting selected again even for Yorks.

I'm not sure if Ballance will be entertained by ZC even if he wishes to come back.

I just see it so differently.
ZC capitalises on a perfect storm to paper over their own cracks.

If he still wants to play cricket, zc could get him for a relative bargain.

[ZIMDOGGY]

I haven't gone through the whole saga, but I feel that it is entirely possible for a non-UK person to assume that the word paki is just a shorthand reference to a "Pakistani" national. I may be wrong, but I feel it has no such racial meaning or anything on those lines here in the subcontinent at least. It is quite likely a case of someone in the UK using it in derogatory sense at some point and then it becoming a taboo to use that word. Indeed, in the UK, it might have developed racial connotations over the years, but to expect everyone around the world to be aware of it and react accordingly would be foolish. I'm not saying Ballance or anyone else said this without enough knowledge, but it is quite possible for an Indian or a Sri Lankan to refer to a Pakistani friend in this manner without even realizing that it could have these kind of ramifications.

I remember around 8/9 years ago almost in laughter when I think it was Sloandog(?) got upset at someone saying Pakistani and thought that was one of the weirdest things I’ve heard. I basically went 25 odd years of my life without ever hearing it associated with a derogatory meaning. I saw through British media since that they thought it as a slur and I didn’t really pay attention to it much but at least as of 5 years ago it was used widely and innocently as a shortened version of Pakistani.
And to be honest it should be common.

Again it’s not the word itself it’s the intent behind it.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Interestingly this site auto corrects P A K I to Pakistani by code.

[Kallum]

Having lived in the UK for most of my life I used to hear the word fairly regularly (like 15 years ago) but it has completely died out except for usage by people who are your typical yobs really and they only use the word to cause offense. It literally has no place in this country anymore even if it was initially just an innocent shortening, context changes everything.

[slcricfan1]

Interestingly this site auto corrects P A K I to Pakistani by code.

Yeah weird isnt it. Im wondering what else it applies to

[zimbos_05]

Australia ceased being a British colony well before the term we're debating was used disparagingly against Pakistani people, so it certainly was not used in the same context.

I grew up in Aus, that word was no more offensive than Aussie or Kiwi or Zimbo were/are. Now that Aus is aware the Brits use it in racist fashion, the term doesn't get used there any more, but there's nothing inherently racist about it, and it wasn't meant in a racist way when the Tele and Herald had it splashed across the front pages.

Murdoch's still an absolute fucking cunt though.

Aus is still technically a colony. We never got independence. That word was always offensive because of the context in which it originated. To argue that one of the most racist countries was not aware of that is blind thinking. Those newspapers knew exactly what they were doing. I've been on the inside of them, I know how they work.

In fact, assuming everyone else should be judged as racist because they use a term differently to you is a bit racist itself...

Classic England really, world's most condescending country.

If dismissive and casual racism existed, this is an example of it.