Asia Cup 2022: "If you are going to be on the 'public media', you'll have to face these situations" - Sunil Gavaskar on Arshdeep Singh's trolling
Former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar feels the best way for cricketers to avoid online trolling is to not be on any online social platform, which he calls "public media."
His observation came a day after young Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh was racially abused on Twitter and Instagram for dropping a catch in their Asia Cup 2022 match against Pakistan on Sunday, September 4. Arshdeep was then tasked with defending seven runs off the last over. He took the game to the fifth ball, but India eventually lost by five wickets.
While most former cricketers and pundits called out the trollers and put up messages celebrating Arshdeep's skills and integrity, Gavaskar saw it differently.
He told India Today:
"Well first and foremost, I think, you know, if you are going to be on the 'public media' -- and I don't call it Social Media for a purpose because there's nothing social about it ... -- then you will have to face these situations. So the best thing would be to maybe to not be on the public media."
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There has been no official statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) against the trolls, but in a recent press conference, former captain Virat Kohli supported Arshdeep, saying the youngster made a mistake under pressure which happens to everyone.
"They have not probably picked up a bat in a sports shop" - Sunil Gavaskar slams trolls
Mohammad Shami said, "I've faced what Arshdeep Singh is facing and it doesn’t affect me because my country stands up for me. I'll only say to Arshdeep, don’t let this hamper you because your talent is immense". (To Times Now).
Gavaskar further wondered why people take online trolls seriously when they are hiding behind an anonymous identity with perhaps no knowledge of the sport.
He explained:
"I actually don't know why people take all these people who are commenting adversely seriously. I mean, who are they? If a former player or a fellow player says something nasty then you take note, something critical, then you take note because that person has the experience of having played the game, and knows something."
"Somebody who's never played the game, hiding behind some anonymous identity -- why would you take them seriously? Yes, the online newspapers take them seriously because they want eyeballs for their thing so every headline on the online site is 'so and so slams, so and so grills.'"
Gavaskar added:
"... My thinking is -- and I am not on any of these, I am only on Instagram -- I don't even know why people take them seriously. Just ignore them and move on. Who are they? They are nobodies. They have not probably picked up a bat in a sports shop and they are still trying to tell you about cricket? Nah, ignore them."
India will next take on Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup on Tuesday, September 6. The match starts at 7:30 pm IST at the Dubai International Stadium.
Stay tuned for the latest Asia Cup 2022 live score and news updates on Sportskeeda.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2022: "Nobody is going to come out and say, 'I think this captain is rubbish'" - Sunil Gavaskar feels Virat Kohli's comments on Rohit Sharma aside are sugarcoated