After allegations of racist abuse in the stands, West Midlands police have launched a criminal investigation into the behavior of fans at Edgbaston during England’s dramatic Test victory over India on the fourth day.
On Monday evening, claims surfaced on social media that several supporters in the stadium had been racially abused, some of which included images of the alleged perpetrator. Edgbaston officials quickly promised to investigate and, following the policy announcement, said that anyone successfully prosecuted would be barred from all cricket venues nationwide.
“We’re working with Edgbaston officials to figure out what happened, and we’d like to hear from anyone who heard any racist language or gestures, or has video footage that could help,” West Midlands police said in a statement. We are aware of images of an alleged offender circulating on social media.” We’re making inquiries to identify the individual and would like to encourage him to come forward and speak with us.
Many of those who reported the abuse to stewards claimed that no action was taken against their abusers while they were told to sit back down. Warwickshire, on the other hand, has defended the actions of its stewards.
“I spoke to those who raised the issue on social media, the stewards managing the Eric Hollies stand, and the police,” Edgbaston chief executive Stuart Cain said. “When this issue was reported to the stewards, they were unable to pinpoint where the alleged abuse was coming from, so stewards and police monitored the area until the play ended.”
Cain stated that anyone who witnesses abuse on the ground should report it using the Edgbaston smartphone app. “This allows people to report abuse anonymously directly to the control room so that stewards and police can take immediate action,” he explained. “Another incident was reported via the app yesterday, which was handled in less than 10 minutes and resulted in the ejection of three fans.”
However, England will now have a six-week break before their next match. Test cricket begins a series against India on Thursday, and international cricket returns to Edgbaston on Saturday for the second of those games. All ticket holders for that game will be contacted and reminded of the stadium’s anti-abuse policy as well as the app. “Everyone at Edgbaston should feel safe and welcome, and we will continue to work hard to meet this expectation,” Cain said.
