5 instances when ill-treatment of Indian cricketers angered fans
The Ganguly-Chappell saga became a national debate as fans protested vehementlySometimes what religion or education cannot do, sports can do that. Such is the passion of sports that it can break down thousands of boundaries and unite people. Case in point being cricket in India. For a country where the sport is worshipped, it is hardly surprising that the cricketers who play the game are also equally loved.In this cricket-crazy nation, fans are always reactive. When the Indian team fails to perform, the fans let their displeasure be known while the team’s return with a trophy is also duly celebrated. Similarly, when their loved cricketers are mistreated or accused by foreign individuals or organisations, fans do not take it well. Particularly in the era of social media when everything is just a click away, Indian fans do not let any insult pass away without shaming the wrong-doer.Here is taking a look at five incidents when the ill-treatment of Indian cricketers took the Indian media and fans by storm:
#1 Sachin Tendulkar vs British Airways
When someone decides to ill-treat the God of Cricket, Indian fans do not forgive that. Easily the most respected and idolised man in the country, Sachin Tendulkar’s recent tryst with the British Airways has been trending worldwide.
Yesterday morning, Tendulkar tweeted to British Airways, complaining about their 'bad service' and 'don't care attitude'. In his tweets, the Maestro said that his family member's British Airways ticket did not get confirmed even though the airline had seats available. To make matters worse, the airline carried his luggage to the wrong destination.
Both outbursts were retweeted more than three thousand times by the sportsman's 8.41 million followers on the microblogging site. Realising that British Airways had made a faux pas, they tried to make amends. Except they made things worse.
British Airways, in response, tweeted back to him asking him for his details — his full name, address and the baggage reference number. Yes, his full name.
Furious that the airline did not know their idol's name, Tendulkar's fans decided they weren't taking any of this. Some angry twitterati asked the airline if they were in complete control of their actions. “Are you drunk?” was one of the more polite inquiries.
Some even asked the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently in the UK, to bring back the Koh-i-Noor - one of the world's biggest diamonds, discovered in India but now part of the British Crown Jewels - along with “God's luggage.”