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

---

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.

---

Here's how fans have reacted:

Daren Sammy himself posted photos with caption "Black Bros" & "Black Power". Then why he is raising the issue over "Kalu" ?? @darensammy88 pic.twitter.com/zXxZK1wh4F

— Mahirat Dream11 (@MahiratDream11) June 9, 2020

Calling a black person black, white person white, brown person brown is not wrong, doing it with ill intentions and malice is wrong, why didnt he said gora for dale Steyn? Steyn is named "Gun" but kaalu for sammy ? pic.twitter.com/VaG6un1tuG

— Long May We Reign (@WeBleedBlue007) June 9, 2020

Wrt the Sammy situation, isn't it strange how saying 'black people' in English is totally fine while same words in literally all other languages is racist.Ofc they themselves decide what to deem as racist & all should respect, but what's this weird Privilege to English language.

— Abijit Ganguly (@AbijitG) June 9, 2020

Dear Sammy in india lot more words are used by friends in india like kaalu, angrez(for white) and many more. But this not intentionally to hurt anyone. These word are used for fun. So don't try to hyper it . If you start taking name also you will get same reply nothing more

— Ravi Mishra (@qwerty4321ravi) June 9, 2020

This is a cunning act from Darren Sammy just to bring racism issue into cricket just to stay in limelight. "Just look at ishant's 2nd post". You will understand the cheap tactics of Darren Sammy. pic.twitter.com/FrDgKATnVx

— You (@Dev_Tweetz) June 9, 2020

Ishant Sharma To Darren Sammy : pic.twitter.com/oXBtChqf5K

— Adarsh 2.0 (@Adarshdvn45) June 9, 2020

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.