Former England spinner Monty Panesar has responded to Usman Khawaja’s comments on racism in Australian cricket, stating that he never encountered racial discrimination during his international career and always felt strongly supported by his teammates and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Khawaja, who announced his retirement from international cricket after the final Sydney Ashes Test, has criticized racial stereotypes in Australian cricket, claiming he has experienced differential treatment throughout his career.
“Thankfully, I never faced any racial discrimination while playing for England. I always received strong support from the team and the board. They were very supportive,” Panesar remarked when asked about his reaction to Khawaja’s revelations regarding racism during his emotional press conference on Friday.
During the 50-minute press conference, Khawaja mentioned he continues to battle stereotypes in his final season, alleging that some of the criticism surrounding his Ashes preparations had racial undertones.
“I’ve always felt a little bit different, even now. I am a coloured cricketer, and the Australian cricket team is, in my opinion, the greatest national team. It’s our pride and joy. But I’ve also felt very different by the way I’ve been treated and by how certain things have happened,” Khawaja stated to the media.
He also discussed the backlash he received for playing three days of golf before the Perth Test, where he suffered back spasms that hindered his ability to open in both innings.
“I had back spasms, and it was something I couldn’t control. The way the media and past players came out and attacked me, I could have copped it for two days, but I copped it for about five days straight.”
“These are the same racial stereotypes I’ve grown up with my whole life. We obviously haven’t fully moved past them, because I’ve never seen anyone being treated like that in the Australian cricket team before, not for the uncontrollables the way you guys went at me,” Khawaja concluded.