Another day, another England cricket star is caught out. Actually, at last count it was five caught out – and it was nothing to do with their antics on the field.
No, these players have been rumbled for making racist, sexist or homophobic tweets.
The first was Ollie Robinson, who was suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board for Twitter posts he wrote when he was 19.
Then came the news teammates Jimmy Anderson, Eoin Morgan, Jos Butler and an unnamed player who was 15 at the time, were alleged to have posted offensive messages.
This all comes as the England team are taking part in an anti-discrimination campaign. You couldn’t make it up.
Backed by the Prime Minister, the Culture Secretary waded in, unhelpfully, and rather predictably said Robinson’s suspension was over the top and that he shouldn’t be made to pay the price for something he did eight or nine years ago.
That’s a terrible response. It sends out completely the wrong message that there’s some sort of a statute of limitation on offensive messages, that somehow they don’t matter after a certain period of time.
It also says if you’re a high-profile cricketer then you’re somehow different and shouldn’t have to deal with pesky sanctions, especially when there’s a test match to be won.
Children, my 15 year old included, are constantly having it drummed into them how social media messages can haunt them – what goes on in social media doesn’t just stay in social media.
Allowing Robinson and co to play on would say something very different, that you can do what you like and simply say sorry later when you’re busted.
We’ve all undoubtedly said immature and offensive stuff as teenagers and young adults.
But what I find so worrying is how individuals are so comfortable in their casual prejudice that they have no worries about saying these things openly on a public platform.
I agree with former England cricketer Mark Ramprakash who said the - intervention of Oliver Dowden and the Government was unhelpful.
I’m not saying the player’s lives and careers should be destroyed, but actions have to have consequences.
I agree there should be suspensions. If they were truly sorry they would take the punishment on the chin – and only then be allowed back into the team, as long as there are no other “receipts”, ie online proof of such unpleasant behaviour.
Come on guys, it really isn’t that hard not to be racist, sexist or homophobic. Just do it.
