Former Australian cricketers Michael Hussey and Shane Warne have condemned the racial abuse at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during the Test match between India and Australia.
The Indian team on Saturday lodged an official complaint after the crowd at the SCG racially abused pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj over the second and third day of the ongoing Pink Test between India and Australia.
"It's terrible behaviour and I can't believe it's still happening in this day and age. They should be banned for life from coming to cricket. The Indians have come here to our shores to entertain us, play some great cricket, we should be so grateful that we can watch some live sport. To treat the players like that is unacceptable," Hussey told Fox Cricket.
Warne also said that "severe punishment" should be given to the members of the crowd who hurled racial slurs at Siraj and Bumrah.
"Disgraceful to be honest, absolutely disgraceful. Should never happen, especially what's happened in the last 12 months or so with everything else around the world. Let's hope they come down heavy and find the culprits," said Warne.
On Saturday, speaking to ANI, a BCCI official in the know of developments said that the Indian cricket board stands with the boys as such behaviour is "unacceptable".
"The tour has surely turned sour and the last thing you expect in a civilized society is racial abuse. The ICC (International Cricket Council) and Cricket Australia need to be very responsive to this as the possible alternatives are not very pleasant for cricket, especially during the present circumstances. The Sydney Test has now become an acid test for CA interim CEO Nick Hockley and we are in complete solidarity with our boys. Racial abuse is unacceptable," the official explained.
Sources aware of developments in the team said that the bowlers initially brought the matter up with stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane before the team went into a huddle with the coaching staff led by Ravi Shastri and decided that this sort of behaviour should not and will not be ignored.
The relationship between the two teams has taken a turn in recent times with Queensland's Health Shadow Minister Ros Bates' comments regarding quarantine guidelines for the fourth Test in Brisbane also painting the visitors in poor light.
With questions raised on whether the Indian team would be willing to follow strict quarantine protocols for the final Test of the series at The Gabba, Bates had said: "If the Indians don't want to play by the rules, don't come."
