https://t.co/bdeSj3Bm9c — Abhinav mukund (@mukundabhinav) 1502296969000

Cricket's colour code

GREIG TAUNTS THE WEST INDIES

SYMONDS TARGETTED

AMLA CALLED A 'TERRORIST'

LEHMANN'S FILTHY RANT

PALLEKELE: That racism is a centuries-old social evil that exists even in the Indian society and in the sporting world is a well-known fact. On Wednesday night, opener Abhinav Mukund , currently touring with the Indian team in Sri Lanka, became the latest sportsperson to speak out on the issue when he posted an emotional tweet about fair not being the "only lovely or handsome." The batsman reacted after being abused on social media for his colour.Recalling his past, Mukund, who scored 81 in the second innings in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle before being dropped in favour of the fit-again KL Rahul , wrote, "I have been playing cricket since the age of 10 and I have gradually climbed up the ladder to where I am right now. It is an honour to get the chance to represent the country at the highest level. I am writing today not to garner sympathy or attention but... with the hope to change the mindset of people on an issue I feel strongly about."Speaking about how people were obsessed about his skin from a young age, the 27-year-old said: "I have been travelling a lot within and outside our country since I was 15. Ever since I was young, people's obsession with my skin colour has always been a mystery to me. Anyone who follows cricket would understand the obvious. I have played and trained day in and day out in the sun and not once have I regretted the fact that I have tanned or lost a couple of shades. It is simply because I love what I do and I have been able to achieve certain things only because I have spent hours outdoor. I come from Chennai, probably one of the hottest places in our country and I have gladly spent most of my adult life in the cricket ground."Revealing that he had been subject to a lot of name calling, Mukund revealed: "I have laughed and shrugged it off because I had bigger goals! Affected young, I toughened up because this was never something that would pull me down. There were many times when I chose not to dignify these insults with responses."The left-hander from Tamil Nadu asserted that he chose to speak up on the issue not just for himself but for many others who were subjected to racism, while pointing out that the advent of social media has seen an increase in racism. "With the rise of social media, it has gone to a magnitude that I see people hurling abuses left, right and centre at something I have absolutely no control over. Fair isn't the only lovely or handsome guys.""Stay true, stay focused, be comfortable in your own skin", he concluded.In a series of tweets later, Mukund clarified that his tweet was in reaction to abuses directed at him on social media. "Guys please don't turn this into something else, it has absolutely no connection to anyone in the team. It is mainly targeted at people who have been posting abuses about colour and saying absolutely derogatory things about the tone of my skin. That s all!," he tweeted, before clarifying further: "Please don't turn this into something political, I just wanted to make a positive statement hoping to make a change. That's all."Mukund's tweet on being trolled online by racists received an overwhelming response on twitter, with former Sri Lankan batsman-turned commentator Russel Arnold and Indian captain Virat Kohli retweeting it.Spinner R Ashwin retweeted it too and added, "Read and learn, don't make it a headline cos its someone's emotion."In a statement posted on Twitter, Indian opener Abhinav Mukund , who played the first Test in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, expressed his disappointment at some messages sent to him targeting his skin tone. Needless to say, there were racist undertones to some of these messages. Dhananjay Roy lists past instances when some players and fans alike have not covered themselves in glory by resorting to racism.If there ever was a cricketer who was forced to shove his words down his own throat, it was former England captain Tony Greig. In the run up to the series against West Indies in 1976, the late Greig remarked: "Sure, they've got a couple of fast bowlers, but really I don't think we're going to run into anything more sensational than Thomson and Lillee and so really I'm not all that worried about them. You must remember that the West Indians, these guys, if they get on top are magnificent cricketers. But if they're down, they grovel, and I intend, with the help of Closey and a few others, to make them grovel." It's a different matter that the English were the ones grovelling during the series which they went on to lose 3-0.According to reports, all-rounder Andrew Symonds was racially abused with some Indian spectators subjecting him to monkey chants while he was fielding on the boundary during the fifth ODI in Baroda in 2007.The incident is said to have occurred during the second half of India's innings, but the police and the state cricket administration denied the allegation. Symonds, unfortunately, was subjected to another round of monkey chants in Nagpur and Mumbai. Then there was the infamous 'Monkeygate' incident that completely overshadowed India's tour to Australia later that year, although it has never been conclusively proved that the protagonists resorted to racist remarks.Dean Jones has earned his stripes as a lively commentator post his retirement from cricket. But one uncalled-for remark cost Jones his job eleven years ago when he was heard calling South African opener Hashim Amla a 'terrorist' on live TV during a Test between the Proteas and Sri Lanka. When Amla took a catch to dismiss Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara, Jones was heard saying: "The terrorist has got another wicket."Needless to say, all hell broke loose thereafter.In January 2003, former Australian batsman and their current coach Darren Lehmann was charged by the ICC under the racism code for lashing out at the Sri Lankans after getting run out during an ODI at Brisbane. The Lankan reserve players and their support staff claimed that Lehmann yelled: "C***s, c***s, f*****g black c***s." Lehmann, though, realised what he had been up to and wasted no time in tendering a written apology to the Lankan team after the match.