Tabraiz Shamsi, after his unique celebration following Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal, disclosed facing severe online abuse directed at his wife.
Tabraiz Shamsi faced a barrage of online abuse following his celebratory gesture after dismissing Suryakumar Yadav in a T20 match. His phone-like boot gesture sparked a backlash from some Indian fans who deemed it disrespectful, leading to severe negative remarks directed at him and his wife. Shamsi expressed disappointment at the abusive nature of the comments, emphasizing the unnecessary intrusion into personal matters.
While welcoming criticism directed at players, he condemned the inclusion of family members and the escalation of hostility, highlighting the need for more respectful engagement in sporting discourse.
“People took it in a negative way; they thought it was disrespectful. I had so much abuse hurled at me. It was probably the worst it’s ever been. There was also abuse hurled at my wife. I didn’t appreciate that. It’s uncalled for. It’s fine if you want to have a dig at the players, but to involve family and say nasty things, that pushes it to another level,” Shamzi said when speaking to Cricbuzz.
“I feel that if players don’t say anything about it, then people think they have free licence. More people need to speak up and say it’s not OK. Yes, we’re all trying our best. Yes, your team might not win or you might not agree with certain things. But you need to behave like a human being. You can’t carry on like an animal,” he added.
Following a wave of backlash over his celebratory move, Shamsi also defended his action on social media, clarifying that it was meant to be a fun and harmless celebration without disrespecting the batter. However, his attempt to address the issue led to further online abuse, crossing the line into personal attacks.
“It’s just a fun celebration which a lot of kids enjoy and means no disrespect towards the batter. All you guys hurling abuse are just giving other genuine cricket-loving fans from your country a bad name,” Shamzi wrote.
He further expressed frustration over limitations for sportspeople to respond while facing continual exploitation of this restraint by online aggressors.
“People know that because we are sportsmen we can’t really say anything back, and they take advantage of it. I’m never shy to express my opinion, so from time to time I let people have a piece of my mind – if they’re stepping over the line. But you can never win that battle,” he concluded.
Last Updated on December 26, 2023
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