Was it right for Lawson to insult a Pak journalist by saying ''Learn english'' to him?

Question

Geoff Lawson from Australia the coach of Pakistan cricket team told a senior cricket journalist from Pakistan to learn english during a controversial press conference after Pakistan's humiliating defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka.

Lawson was trying to dictate terms before few journalists opposed this attitude of the former Australian pacer.

Answer 1

Of course it was wrong.  He's a Pakistani journalist.  He's not obligated to know English.. it's not his language.  That doesn't make him illiterate or put him below anyone who does speak English.  I'm not saying Lawson should speak to him in Urdu, but he's working for Pakistan, he should be respectful. At least not say it at press conference for Pete's sake.

Same with Pakistani cricketers.  People make fun of them because of their broken English.  They're literate in Urdu, their mother tongue, thats whats important.  There are so many people in Europe who don't speak English... but you'll never see them being marked as illiterate.  Something to think about.

Lawson's mother tongue is English.  No one tells him "learn Urdu."

Answer 2

LMAO

Quandry you seriously played with Lawson?You must have been a good cricketer back in your day,how old are you now?

Anyway Lawson was being a d**k according to all the news clippings I've seen and about the grammar part..well lets just leave it that..

Of course Lawson should have learnt the local language if he got a job over there....

Answer 3

Well it all depends on how he said it..

You have to remember Lawson is over there to do a job,if people want to interview him they must do it so he can understand them..It is very frustrating when you have all these people wanting to interview you but they can not speak English very well..If the interviewer can not speak English well enough to be understood then they should either learn English or get an interpreter...

Answer 4

I played cricket with Geoff Lawson at club level and thought he was a wanker then.

Not surprised he's still a wanker.

But it could be forgiven if he had been abused first.  Which often happens on television/radio in all countries ... someone might have got up him about his lack of the local language skills.  Then again with my knowledge of Mr Lawson - nup he was probably just being an arrogant t**t.

EDIT: Yogeshishi or whatever his name is HAS to be taking the p**s, right?  No one could claim to come from a super race with superior grammar to the rest of the world, with diction skills of that calibre could they?

Answer 5

I can't see what he did wrong, a journalist interviewing an English speaking person, SHOULD be able to speak English. Otherwise, what is the point of trying to interview them.And knowing what journalists are like the world over, there would have been a lot of agro involved.

Answer 6

NO. He should respect other people....

Answer 7

He's Sucks

Answer 8

yes it was a right thing to do imo,

imagine someone speaking gibberish in front of u .. what will u say to that person?

pakistani journalist believe their team is invincible but the fact remains they are one of the worst teams in the world.

-yousuf youhana is declining fast...

-s****.malik cant captain.

-they have no pace attack,

-no spin attack

-no decent openers

-fielding is amongst the worst in the world.

-their batsmen are short and have no real power

-afridi is officially done.. not sure why he even plays now..

and yet when u ask a pakistani fan .. they will always say "we have the best talent in the world" lol

Answer 9

Bingalee how abt an english person doing job in pakistan should improve his Urdu instead of speakin in english

Answer 10

The scene was very funny as well as silly.

Answer 11

it was not good

Answer 12

I wonder if it was the same journalist that MIchael Atherton called a "bufoon" during the 1996 World Cup!

And how is Lawson telling the journalist to learn English an insult?

English is spoken the world over. Urdu isn't.

Answer 13

Most people from the Sub continent can convey what they want to to an English speaking person, and most foreigners who opt/ decide to work here, learn the basics. Be it Brett Lee, Ponting, Shane Warne or any coach. They all have grasp of a smattering of the local language.

These people gain respect from the locals.

It was not about the English part. He was upset with the losing against SL. It was his attitude, body language and gestures that was offensive. We have seen the clippings from day one. It must be all over the Inet too.

When the reporters at last decided to walk, he spoke in Hindi. Said "JAO, JAO" with gestures. Meaning "GO, GO" Then, when the reporters started getting up and walking, he almost elbowed his way out through them showing he was walking out.

All the while, he had an official, a local man, who was trying to pacify both Lawson and the Media people and who could translate anything he did not understand.

Think they accept his apology and move on.

Answer 14

i dunno whether it was right or wrong but u (tino67) ****!! wht do u no abt pakistani cricket! ppl lyk u see only style and literature.Pakistan is one of the best countries in the world! they love their country!! the power the passion is the only thing tht has kept thm united after soo much corruption!! i think pakistani cricket it also gud!! thr r spinners,fast bowlers attackers batsman wid gr8 ability!! MOHAMMAD YOUSUF IS A GR8 PLAYER HE HAS PLAYED MANY VALUABLE INNINGS FOR PAKISTAN AFRIDI IS A GR8 BOWLER AND THR IZ SHOIAB AKHTAR WHO IS WORLD'S FASTEST BOWLER!! U HAV NO RIGHT 2 SPEAK BAD ABT ANY TEAM GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 15

Political Correctness again,  the facts are if you want to interview a person he should be able to understand you.  

Funny answer from yogishsi or what ever his/her name is, saying how much smarter 'we' are than 'them' etc,    Read What it says, quite funny.

this is it. lol.

"indians and subcontinents have better grammar than them , we r more intelligent that them"

'that them'  hahahahaha.    yes very intelligent, hahahahahahaha

Answer 16

not right

Answer 17

no he is wrong .

indians and subcontinents have better grammar than them , we r more intelligent than them , how can he say that

typing mistakes are there by humans  ,

but u fukers does not understand as u (mike , kerr) are mindless  kangroo

Answer 18

No. English has so many faces nowadays. No country can say which is which even the British. As long as the message is received I don't see any problem with that. And it's called International English.

Answer 19

Lawson is the worst ever display on TV that I have seen in my lifetime.

He is coach to an important team of an very important nation.

This guy should be taught how to behave in open, that too in a country that miles away from his hometown.

Greg was a much better guy that way.

Lawson must be punished by the Islamic rule... must be made to apologize to all Asian who's feelings he has hurt.

This idiot will not be able to speak more than one language... may be the australian english.

Every single Pakistani or Indian can speak more than 3 languages regardless of what his job or class in his society is.

-Agni Sharman

www.fly2kerala.com