Victorian Robert Ray says Jones does not deserve to get behind a microphone again after referring to Hashim Amla as ‘terrorist’.
MELBOURNE: Dean Jones should be banned from cricket commentary for life after his “crass and racist” slur against a South African player, a senator told the Federal Parliament.
In a scathing attack, Victorian Labour senator Robert Ray said Jones did not deserve to get behind a microphone again after referring to Hashim Amla as “terrorist” during South Africa’s second Test against Sri Lanka.
“I regard Jones as the worst cricket commentator that I have ever heard in 50 years of following cricket,” he told the Senate, according to a report in the The Herald Sun. “People around this building will know of my complaints after listening to his inept, inaccurate and racist broadcasts,” he said.
“He (Jones) said that he did not mean for the comment to go to air, just like Mel Gibson did not mean for his public comments in Los Angeles two weeks ago to become public — but they have become public,” Senator Ray said referring to Gibson’s recent allegedly anti-Semitic remarks. “I just hope that Australian broadcasters note the reaction out of the subcontinent and never employ Dean Jones again because he does not deserve it.”
The senator’s comments evoked instant reaction from Jones himself and a few other former cricketers. Jones said people were entitled to their views while veteran commentator Tony Greig said the senator’s comment “smacks of a cheap shot”.
“People, whether they be senators, people in the bar, everyone has their opinions. People will take positions on this and rightly so, they’re entitled to,” Jones was quoted as saying by the daily.
Former Test bowler Rodney Hogg sprung in defence of Jones though.
“How many times did we hear Ian Chappell drop the magic word when he didn’t know the microphone was on,” he said. “Deano knows the players on a personal basis, he’s called him by his nickname, for goodness sake.”
Meanwhile, Jones, who lost his contract worth USD 200,000 a year with Ten Sports, said he was hopeful of fulfilling other commentary roles in the next few months.
“It’s all a bit uncertain but I’m still planning to commentate on a series next month in Singapore and Malaysia. I am also contracted to do some work in October at the Champions Trophy (in India) and they’ve indicated they still want me for that.”
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