England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will soon launch an investigation for allegations of racist abuse aimed at some section of the Indian fans during Day 4 of the Edgbaston Test. A series of allegations have sprung up on Twitter from those who were met with racial slurs from the home crowd. 

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The spectators were asked to sit down when they complained to the steward. “Racist behaviour at Edgbaston towards Indian fans in block 22 Eric Hollies. People calling us Curry C**ts and paki bas****s. We reported it to the stewards and showed them the culprits at least 10 times but no response and all we were told is to sit in our seats,” wrote one user.

Another fan tweeted, “Some disgusting racism. The stewards actually told the India fans to sit down whilst allowing the abuse to go ahead.”

Bharat Army, the fan association, shared on Twitter that many of its members had to face racially charged slurs in the Hollies Stand.

Azeem Rafiq, the former Yorkshire cricketer, highlighted these posts, prompting a quick response from both the ECB and Edgbaston. Rafiq has been a leading voice against racism prevalent in English cricket. His testimony of racial abuses he suffered during his Yorkshire days sparked a nationwide furore in the country. 

“I’m gutted by these reports as we’re working hard to make Edgbaston a safe, welcoming environment for all,” said Stuart Cain, Chief Executive at Edgbaston. “Having seen the initial tweets, I’ve spoken personally to the gentleman who raised them and we’re now speaking to the stewards in this area to establish what happened.”

The incident undermined what had been a terrific day of Test cricket, where the hosts lost only three wickets and chipped 259 runs off the target. They now need only 119 runs on the final day to level the series. Joe Root walked into the day on 76, while his Yorkshire teammate Jonny Bairstow is unbeaten on 72. 

(Featured Image Credit: Edgbaston Cricket Ground)