IANS

Melbourne, Jun 13: Former Australia cricket captain Steve Waugh Friday said he was pained to hear reports of alleged racial attacks on Indian students in Australia.

"I am shocked and saddened by the reports about the experiences some Indian students have recently had in Australia. I have worked with young people in both India and Australia over many years and only heard positive reports of their experiences in either country," Waugh said in a statement.

"Our two countries have always enjoyed strong and excellent relations, especially through cricket, sport and business. The safety and security of any young person in a foreign country is a serious concern and paramount, and something we should all work towards. I appeal to all concerned to bring to an end this unfortunate chain of events," he added.

Nearly a dozen Indian students studying in Australia have been attacked, with many Indians alleging they were racially motivated.

Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh's nephew was also found dead under mysterious circumstances near the railway track near his apartment in the Thornbury area here last month although no one was sure whether his dead was related to these attacks.