Deep Dasgupta warns youngsters to keep social media activity in check in light of Ollie Robinson scandal
Deep Dasgupta had his say on the Ollie Robinson controversy, suggesting ways on how such scandals could be avoided in the future. The former cricketer wants cricket boards to step in and sensitize players at the grassroots level.
Ollie Robinson’s shocking eight-year-old tweets resurfaced on the day the bowler made his debut. The same triggered outrage online, with the bowler apologizing for his actions after Day 1 of the England vs New Zealand Test.
Deep Dasgupta addressed the controversy on his YouTube channel, questioning whether cricket is taking any concrete steps to tackle racism and other social evils at the grassroots level.
“We have been hearing about zero tolerance against racism, in football you see players taking a knee. All this is great for optics, but is anything happening at the ground level? That is more important. This is where associations who act as the safe-keepers of the sport, like the ECB, BCCI and ICC, come into play. They will have to get involved at a very grassroots level. Optics and saying things like zero tolerance to racism is very easy. But working at the ground level is the most important thing,” Dasgupta claimed.
In the wake of discussions on how the situation could be improved, Deep Dasgupta, on his YouTube channel, offered a viable suggestion to make cricket and players more inclusive.
"For example, they are grassroots academies where kids are taught how to play the game. But along with that other things need to be taught to them as well because as sportspersons, they are ambassadors of the sport and the nation. It is very important to educate these kids and increase their awareness about racism, sexism, body-shaming etc.," Dasgupta suggested.
“Please be mindful” – Deep Dasgupta’s advice to youngsters
Ollie Robinson is not the first cricketer whose old tweets have grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons. England spinner Matt Parkinson’s old tweets insulting Indian cricketers went viral earlier this year too, and Deep Dasgupta feels the current controversy holds a vital lesson for young cricketers looking to break into the senior teams.
“Another thing the upcoming generation needs to understand is that whatever they put up on social media, it is there for perpetuity. You can’t remove that. Please be mindful of what you do on social media. Be very responsible because whatever you put up right now can come back to bite you 5-8 years down the line,” Deep Dasgupta concluded.
Ollie Robinson is set to bear a big punishment for his actions. Despite impressing in the first Test against the Blackcaps, multiple reports suggest the speed gun will be dropped for the second Test.