Channel Ten has found itself at the centre of a fierce social media storm after a post from the account of its cancelled show, The Project, urged Australians to stop discussing the Ashes. The ill-timed message was branded 'tone-deaf' by furious cricket fans and even drew a sharp rebuke from the ABC.
A Social Media Own Goal
The controversial tweet was posted after Australia retained the Ashes urn by beating England in the third Test in Adelaide on Sunday. 'Now Australia has won the Ashes, can we not talk about cricket for the rest of the Summer? Thanks in advance,' the post read. The message, which quickly went down like a lead balloon, was seen as an attempt to dampen national sporting joy.
Fans on X, formerly Twitter, did not hold back in their criticism. Many took delight in referencing the show's own cancellation in their replies. 'Now that The Project has been cancelled, can we not talk about it for the rest of forever?' one user wrote. Another added, 'Genuinely how did you people think this tweet would be received? About as tone deaf as the rest of your show.'
ABC Joins the Fray with a Classic Sledge
The criticism was not confined to fans. The ABC Sport account fired back with a clever retort that referenced a famous on-field exchange. Reposting the original comment, the ABC captioned it: 'You sledge cricket talk when you're not on the air, champion.' The post was accompanied by a photo of Australian batter Steve Smith and England bowler Jofra Archer from the second Ashes Test.
This wording echoed the players' war of words during that match, where Smith hit back at Archer's taunt with the iconic line, '[You only] Bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champion.' The ABC's post was widely praised for its witty and timely clapback.
Ashes Victory Overshadowed by Social Media Misstep
The online furore erupted just as Australian cricket fans were celebrating a commanding 3-0 series lead, secured with an 82-run victory in Adelaide. Contributions from batters like Alex Carey and Travis Head were pivotal in the win.
However, the hosts will be without two key players for the next Test at the MCG starting Friday. Captain Pat Cummins and star spinner Nathan Lyon have been ruled out due to injury. Todd Murphy is tipped to replace Lyon after being named in Australia's 15-man squad, while Brendan Doggett and Jhye Richardson are in contention for Cummins' spot.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the perils of misjudging public sentiment, especially when it clashes with a beloved national sporting triumph.
