Amid the controversy surrounding Ravindra Jadeja's press conference ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, former England captain Michael Vaughan said the entire episode could have been easily avoided with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).
During India's first media interaction, the Australian media were left frustrated when Ravindra Jadeja refused to respond in English, answering questions exclusively in Hindi. The situation escalated when the BCCI media team informed the Australian reporters that the Indian all-rounder was in a hurry to catch the bus and would not be able to respond in English.
Michael Vaughan suggests artificial intelligence could have prevented Ravindra Jadeja's press conference drama in Melbourne
It led to an abrupt end to the press conference in Melbourne, which did not sit well with Australian journalists, who reportedly continued to film even after being asked not to film after the conference ended. But the situation took a sour turn when Channel 7 aired a report accusing Ravindran Jadeja of “refusing” to answer in English.
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In fact, the press conference was organized for the Indian media, who traveled to Australia for the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy; hence the questions were asked in Hindi at the press conference and Jadeja is also more comfortable speaking in that language.
Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan, reacting to the issue, suggested that all the fuss over language could have been avoided if AI translation tools had been used by the Australian media. He pointed out that there are AI systems capable of translating Hindi into English, which could have seamlessly rendered Jadeja's answers in Australian English.
The former England captain also pointed out that while the translations might not be perfect, they would have solved the problem without adding unnecessary drama to the situation. Vaughan also criticized the Australian media for overstepping their bounds while filming the families of the Indian players.
Michael Vaughan said on the Prairie Fire Club podcast: “India is a powerhouse. They clearly think airport cameras and filming families is a step too far. And this is their way of reacting. It just adds more drama to me. There are AI systems you can use to translate Hindi to Australian English.
So if they are not willing to speak English… Put it in the system and it will show up as Australian English. You are quoting Jadeja on what is coming in AI. It might not be exactly the same, but it will be pretty funny.”
The former England batsman humorously hailed the way India's media manager handles the media in Australia. Referring to the “we've got a bus to catch” remark to avoid further questions from the Australian media, Vaughan joked that the Indian cricket team doesn't even travel by bus.
The cricket pundit also hailed the intensity and drama surrounding the India-Australia Test series, citing heated moments such as Mohammed Siraj's duel with Travis Head and the way Jadeja's press conference was conducted. The Englishman also reflected on his previous experiences with India's UK media manager to praise his firm, no-nonsense approach to dealing with the press.
Vaughan concluded by saying, “I like a bit of spice in the series. I like Mohammed Siraj vs Travis Head… What Jadeja did. I like the press officer from the Indian side. The guy has been there for a while. I had problems with it in the UK. I just love how he handles the press and tells them to go away. “We have a bus to catch.”
“I don't think they have buses. That's a lie. I think they have cars. I'm pretty sure they don't go in a double-decker team bus. They have pretty cool cars,” he added.