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Racist comment OK, but only from friends: Symonds

Agencies

Posted online: Saturday , January 12, 2008 at 1959 hrs IST
      

Melbourne, January 12:: Andrew Symonds does not mind the odd racist comment at his expense, but only from people he is friendly with, the Australian all-rounder said.

Symonds labelled Harbhajan Singh's alleged racial taunt as ‘unacceptable’ and vowed not to cop remarks from rival players with whom he has no friendship.

Ahead of the Perth Test against India, Symonds declared he could tolerate racism - but only from those he knew.

"I'm not a sensitive person about it," he said.

"If you know me well you can have a joke to me about anything and any part of racism and I'll laugh," he was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

"I mean, I'm not sensitive about it but if I'm not your friend, if you're an opposition player or something like that, it is unacceptable."

However, Symonds said some rival cricketers could afford to make a racist comment without raising his ire.

"Even with opposition players, if I do know them well and they want to joke about something like that, it doesn't stir me up so what's happened is something I and the Australian boys have taken very seriously. It (the racism affair) is a really difficult thing for me to comment on as it hasn't been totally resolved," he said.

"Obviously, people are very interested in what's happened but they probably won't actually know exactly what's happened for quite some time, until the dust has settled," Symonds said.

But he claimed Harbhajan's actions, during a Test match, had annoyed him because it breached the boundaries of social acceptability.

"I'm very relaxed about life and I understand there are many different types of people," he said.

"You know, I used to have a bit of fun and people used to have a bit of fun with me in the playground when I was at school so I understand that kids are very blunt about that sort of thing. But it (racism) is one of those things that, in the modern day, is obviously very publicly unacceptable," Symonds added.

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Ozzie shackles
by Ds and jack on 2008-01-14 08:33:04.311937+05:30
Symonds gave hints(coded message) that he is being utilized by Ozzie's:>>Symonds says that "monkey" comments from friends is not racist and from rival are considered racist. But since India is a rival team, the Ozzie have coined "monkey" as racist term>>Symonds admitted that he was caught on Ishant bowling. That was bold and India should not nail him for exposing the wrong decision. Know that Symonds is paid by the Ozzie and we can offer him a place in ICL some day when he wants to walk out of Ozzie's shackles.Symonds being on Ozzie side cannot give more hints that can benefit India. Know this guy is being utilized by Ozzie's.Clue for India - India should go easy on culprit and hard on the brains behind the culprit.Bishop from Carribean said that "monkey" is not racist word. I think world cannot be subverted and go to the brains behind the culprit.
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Racism in Australia
by Mishka on 2008-01-14 05:09:15.503336+05:30
When Darrel Hair had been sacked from ICC he sued them to be racist. Look who is talking? Until last minute Malcom Speed kept calling him the best empire. Everybody knows how Australia treated their aborigines for 200 years. They used to go and hunt them down. Their population kept reducing. Its now about the 10th since they took over Australia. Still lots of aborigines die in police cells. Racism what are they talking about.Who called Murli a chucker? Australian EmpiresWho did not allow Tendulkar to used saw dust on the pitch because his balers were slipping due to the wet pitch? Australian EmpiresIndia could not win here first they had Australian empires and they were rouges.They always opposed the ides of having independent empires. When world finally got independent empires they were dominated by the whites? Subcontinent team never get a fair go in Australia. For that matter Australia always gets the judgement in their favour no matter who the team is. They are not the champion team. They are cheating team. You need Dakoos from Chambal Ghati to play in Indian team to win with them. I think even they will be more decent then these thugs.What is the point of playing with the Aussies? Why can’t India form their own Indian Cricket Council? Stuff ICC. Don’t give them India’s valuable revenue only to get insulted by these clowns.
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Symonds- you pussy
by Santoshp on 2008-01-13 20:25:14.834038+05:30
Looks like Symonds is Ok with a white man screwing his half-black ass. But he can't bear a brown man fingering responding to his filthy mouth. Can't take that like a man, Yo pussy Symonds!!
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Racist comment OK, but only from friends: Symonds
by keshav ranganath on 2008-01-13 16:16:54.403853+05:30
Not sure how to interpret the racism issue between Symonds and Bhajji. We never seem to have any problems racially with any other team including the West Indice. Aussies are well known to provoke which results into a reaction. In my opinion, Symonds is the root cause for this trouble.
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Big Deal
by Prasad on 2008-01-13 15:01:46.052469+05:30
Who cares you think Symonds? Another example that Ponting and his cronies are so full of themselves. It's about time Indian officials, players and spectators stopped swallowing the insults heaped upon them by these angloes.Start by Boycotting the Sponsors of these crude self-styled cowboys from aussieland backed by CA
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