Former England captain Michael Vaughan has come out in support of Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Vaughan indirectly criticized the Australian media and suggested that, in this modern era, they should use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to translate Hindi into English. Had the Australian media done this, Jadeja’s press conference would not have become such a big issue.
Before the Boxing Day Test match, Ravindra Jadeja attended a press conference to interact with the media. Jadeja answered most of the questions in Hindi, which did not sit well with the Australian media. Additionally, the team bus was scheduled to leave for the hotel, so the press conference was kept short. This further upset the Australian media. BCCI’s media staff informed Jadeja that he wouldn’t be able to take questions in English due to time constraints and the need to catch the bus, which led to an uproar from the Australian media.
Channel 7 aired a report accusing Ravindra Jadeja of refusing to answer questions in English. The press conference was primarily organized for the Indian media, so most questions were asked in Hindi. Jadeja, who is naturally more comfortable speaking in Hindi, responded in the same language.
Speaking about the controversy on the Club Periyar Podcast, Michael Vaughan said,
“India is a powerhouse. They clearly believe filming families at the airport and setting up cameras is a step ahead. This is just their way of responding, and to me, it only adds more drama.”
Vaughan further added,
“There are AI systems available that can translate Hindi into Australian English. So, if they are not ready to speak in English, just put it through the system, and it will translate into Australian English. You can quote Jadeja based on the AI output. It may not be perfect, but it would certainly be entertaining.”
Vaughan also poked fun at the Indian media manager’s comment about Jadeja having to catch a bus. Vaughan said,
“I love a bit of drama in the series. I enjoy the Mohammed Siraj vs Travis Head battle, and I liked what Jadeja did. I even like the Indian team’s press officer. He has been around for some time and had a few issues with us in the U.K. I just enjoy how he handles the press and tells them they need to leave because they have to catch a bus.”
Vaughan humorously added,
“I don’t think they actually have buses. That’s a lie. I think they have cars. I’m pretty sure they don’t travel in double-decker buses. They have very nice cars.”