Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Cricket Australia have requested that the page be taken down
Cricket Australia has requested a Facebook page entitled “100,000 likes and I’ll tackle Stuart Broad on Boxing Day” to be deleted after it amassed more than 114,000 likes.
Cricket Australia also warned the page owner that if he were to go through with his plans, it would be met with serious repercussions.
“Cricket Australia takes this issue seriously and will not tolerate anti-social behaviour, or anyone encouraging it, at any cricket match,” Cricket Australia said via a statement. “We’ve been in contact with Facebook to request the specific page be removed and will be passing on all available information to the relevant authorities.
“Anyone considering acting in this way is not welcome at the cricket and offenders will be subject to criminal charges and fines at all venues. Fines for entering the field of play vary from venue to venue but range in the thousands of dollars per offence.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) were also unimpressed by the Facebook page, and said: “The ECB deplores any threats made towards any player and would urge Facebook to accede to Cricket Australia’s request to remove the offending and offensive page. There is no place in cricket for the incitement to violence of any form.”
Former Australia spin king Shane Warne believes the page was created as a result of the Courier Mail’s campaign against Broad.
“This ridiculous stuff with the papers is just childish,” Warne said on Channel Nine. “It’s just like being at primary school. The Australian papers – we’ve been the worst media, the worst print media, for a long time. They’re horrific, some of these guys, and I tell you what this is actually helping Broad, it’s actually backfiring on them straight away.
“You don’t really need that added motivation but as an individual deep down you think, ‘I’ll show you. You can sing your songs as much as you like but I’m just going to go about my business, I know what I’m doing’. It just inspired you a little bit more.”