In one of the most startling revelations by former Indian cricketer Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, the young Cricketer from Tamil Nadu recalled facing racist comments regarding his colour. In an interaction with the Indian Express, Sivaramakrishnan revealed that he had to face a racist comment for something as trivial as ‘ordering a dark chocolate cake’. The testimony was a stark reminder of how teammates in the dressing room could get away with anything as long as they found it funny.
Notably, Sivaramakrishnan had just joined the Indian team on the 1982-83 Pakistan tour after being the star in the domestic circuit.
The cricketer-turned-commentator shared his ordeal of how a birthday turned into a nightmare for the then-young boy.
“Hey Sunny, you ordered the right colour cake. Such a dark chocolate cake for a dark boy. I started crying and refused to cut the cake. Then Sunil Gavaskar had to pacify me and then I cut the cake with tears in my eyes,” Sivaramakrishnan was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Was Told To Clean Shoes: Sivaramakrishnan
Sivaramakrishnan at just 14, faced a rude shock as he got mistaken by a senior Indian batter for a ground staff. Not just that, the unnamed batter told him to clean his shoes. Sivaramakrishnan also remembered being referred to as ‘Karupa’ in the dressing room by his Tamil Nadu teammates, whereas fans in North India mocked him with ‘Kalia’.
Once Waited An Hour To Verify My Identity, Claims Sivaramakrishnan
At a hotel in Mumbai, now known as the Trident at Nariman Point, a security guard wouldn’t accept that he was on the Indian team due to his age and looks, causing him to wait nearly an hour for a teammate to verify his identity.
“After that, I realised I should take the keys with me. But I would be trembling when I got near the gate for the fear of being rejected and kicked out again,” Sivaramakrishnan said.
Throughout his debut tour of Pakistan, Sivaramakrishnan faced the racist chants from the crowd.
