Fans react to Ishant Sharma's alleged racial slur towards Daren Sammy in 2014

An old Instagram post of India pacer Ishant Sharma has surfaced on social media. The fast bowler had posted a photo with Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Daren Sammy and Dale Steyn with a caption that read, “Me, Bhuvi, Kaluu and gun sunrisers”.

While Ishant Sharma may have used the term 'Kaluu' in good humour, and may not have intended a racial slur, the timing of this post resurfacing has caused many people to assume otherwise.

While some netizens assumed that the word is a racial slur towards the West Indian, others have come out in support of Ishant, saying that the term is just a regular word which need not be taken as offence.

Only a few hours ago, Sammy had hit out at his former SRH teammates. He claimed that he and Thisara Perera were subjected to racism during his time with the team, but that they were unaware of the meaning of the racial slur used.

The post

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Daren Sammy releases video statement

Sammy released a video statement asking his ex-teammates to clear the air.

“Knowledge is power. So recently I discovered a word that I was being called was not what it actually meant I need some answers,” he said on Instagram. “So before I start calling out names I need these individuals to reach out and please tell me there’s another meaning to that word and when I was being called it, it was all in love.”

"I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny," Sammy said.

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Here's how fans have reacted:

Earlier, Andre Russell and Chris Gayle had expressed their anger over the murder of George Floyd in the United States. Sammy had also made an appeal to the International Cricket Council to fight against racism.