‘Ignored for 23 years; what do you think is the reason?’ – Laxman Sivaramakrishnan alleges racial bias, quits commentary

Former India cricketer Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has stepped down from his job as a commentator with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Sivaramakrishnan made the decision public via multiple social media posts on his official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, March 20. 

The veteran commentator’s retirement seems a forced one, though. A few posts later via his ‘X’ handle, Sivaramakrishnan has called out the ill faces of television production as a possible reason behind his call to put the microphone down. He believes that he has not been used for tosses and post-match presentations anymore, pointing towards racial discrimination.

“I am retiring from commentary for BCCI,’ he said. “If I have not been used for tosses and presentations for 23 years and newcomers come in do pitch report, tosses, and presentations even when [Ravi] Shastri was coaching, what do you think could be the reason?’ he added.

Under the replies section, where fans asked him the exact reasons, he seconded their opinions of being a victim of discrimination on the basis of his “black” skin colour.

It is worth mentioning that racial or any form of discrimination at workplaces is an offence as per the Constitution of India, and if Sivaramakrishnan’s allegations are indeed right, it is not only an extremely unfortunate situation for one of the best voices of the game but also a violation of the national laws, eligible for strict punishment.

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