Danny Morrison, the prominent commentator, has been criticised for addressing Velocity captain Mithali Raj as “my dear” during an interview after their loss to Trailblazers in the Women’s T20 Challenge.
Raj’s side had a disastrous outing – they were bundled out for 47 and lost by nine wickets – and she was dissecting the performance with Morrison, when the commentator asked her: “Tomorrow’s a day off, my dear, Mithali Raj … what are you going to do, what are Velocity going to do tomorrow?”
Raj laughed, and said: “We’re going to recover from this defeat, definitely,” she said. “I think it’s important that we regroup and I know that there’s not been much of a preparation also … two matches back-to-back. But having said that, no team gets bad in one night. And I guess just get the girls [to] cheer up, because definitely they would have felt a little sad after their batting today.”
Morrison then said: “Chin up, keep smiling. We’ll see you again soon.”
Morrison’s phrasing was criticised by journalists on social media. Raf Nicholson, who has written for Wisden Cricket Monthly and ESPNcricinfo, among others, said: “Can’t believe this has to be said in 2020 but please DO NOT call female players “my dear” or tell them to “keep smiling” when you are interviewing them in the post-match. FFS”
The views were echoed by Isabelle Westbury, a WCM columnist, who said: “Don’t call international sportswomen “my dear” in interviews. You wouldn’t say it to a man. It shouldn’t need to be said.
Don’t call international sportswomen “my dear” in interviews.
You wouldn’t say it to a man. It shouldn’t need to be said. #womenst20challenge
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) November 5, 2020
“I worry (a lot) about overreacting to these kinds of comments, to commentators who I’m sure do not set out to be patronising. We all slip up, I get that.
“But I also firmly believe that media have a responsibility to set the agenda, and language is so important to how we perceive our athletes – as leaders, as role models.
“The bar is a simple one: if you are addressing a former India captain, if you wouldn’t in a million years call MS Dhoni “my dear” then it shouldn’t even cross your mind to address Mithali Raj as such.”
Watch the whole interview here.
