I was called a Paki: Aakash Chopra explains his encounter with racism

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has revealed he was subjected to racism while playing league cricket in England. A day after West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy expressed his displeasure over a word that was used to refer to him while he was playing the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chopra said that he was called a Paki, a term that means much more that just the general notion.

"We (cricketers) at one point or the other, have been victims of racism. I remember when I used to play league cricket in England, there were two South African is one of the opposition teams and both of them really went on an abusive spree. Even when I was at the non-striker's end, they were after my life. They were constantly calling me Paki," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. 

"Now many believe Paki is a short form of Pakistan but that is not true. If you are brown skinned. If you're anywhere from Asian subcontinent, this term is used to racially abuse. You're called Paki, and nobody likes it. The moment you call anybody Paki in England, you know the intention behind it. That's what happened with me at that time. My team stood by me but the truth is the person in front of me was doing it."

Chopra, who played 10 Tests for India between 2003 and 2004, weighed in on the topic, explaining how deep-rooted the matter is, not just in India but around the world. The former opener insisted it is not something that is exclusive to players from sub-continent and that even people with fair skin have been subjected to some or the other form of racial slurs.

"Even if you're white-skinned, it happens then as well. When they come to this part of the world, they also subjected to this kind of behaviour. In fact, when Andrew Symonds came to India, so many Monkey chants started filling up the Wankhede Stadium. That is when people were told that your entry will be banned," Chopra said.