Tone Deaf
0By Scott MacLean
Tomorrow Northern Districts open their Super Smash campaigns with a double header against their Central counterparts at Seddon Park. It’s that time of the year and a 2pm start for the Women allows time for office workers and the like to get over from the City of the Future’s CBD for the matches.
ND have also promoted as Pride Round with the tagline of “A Game For All”, a fine and noble thing.
And if you buy your ticket online, you could win a merch pack including a playing shirt from one of the Mens team…..
Except…..
It’s THAT player. The player whose name is never mentioned at Sportsfreak Towers.
On one hand I get why ‘him’. He’s been a stalwart of the association and good enough to play for the Blackcaps.
On the other there’s that criminal trial, and although found Not Guilty, there was his own testimony that he ignored what ‘No’ means during the incident in question.
That ND Cricket would have to be aware of the feelings of the cricketing public towards ‘him’ would make this a questionable choice at best, but to do it when celebrating the Pride Movement – a cool initiative for a community that runs on love and inclusion – and one that many of their women’s side likely subscribe to?
This should be a really easy public relations win for Northern Districts, but instead they’ve overshadowed it with a choice that’s not just bad, but completely tone deaf.
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