“…I’d like to apologise…”- Isa Guha has to apologise for his ‘Primate’ comment on Jasprit Bumrah

New Delhi: Former English women’s cricketer Isha Guha has issued an apology for her comments on Jasprit Bumrah after the former called the Indian pacer a ‘Primate’ while referring to his bowling prowess in Gabba during Day 2 of the third test. The remark by Guha triggered anger among fans on social media.

Ahead of the start of play on Day 3, however, Guha issued an apology for her comment, clarifying that she only meant it as a high praise for the marquee Indian pacer. Although Guha’s comment was made in a light-hearted conversation between cricket experts, the historical tension between both sides owing to the “Monkeygate” scandal made the comment more sensitive to the common audience.

What is the “Monkeygate” scandal?

The ‘Monkeygate‘ scandal remains one of the dirtiest and murkiest episodes in the history of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The incident took place in the 2007-08 Border Gavaskar Test series during the 2nd test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in January 2008.

The main bone of contention was between former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds after the latter allegedly abused Symonds with racial slurs. Subsequently, a three-match ban against Harbhajan was issued for racial sledging. This marred the sportsmanship between India and Australia and set in tone for the aggressive behaviour of the Australian team towards successive visiting Indian sides.

Other acrimony included the reporting of Brad Hogg for improper conduct, reports of sledging by the Australian team and the scrapping of the captains’ agreement about taking the fielder’s word on catches.

Guha apologises for her comments

While everyone thought that Guha’s comments would trigger one more ‘Monkeygate’ scandal, the former English woman cricketer clarified what she meant by the word ‘Primate’:

If you listen to the full transcript I only meant the highest praise for one of India’s greatest players. And someone that I admire greatly. I’m an advocate for equality and someone who has spent their career thinking about inclusion and understanding in the game…

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri also reacted to Guha’s apology, calling her a ‘brave woman’ who decided to apologise on live TV.