With three ICC T20 World Cup titles in its bag, including the most recent one, India is riding the crest of a wave in white-ball cricket. The Indian empire is at its peak and it seems that everything that India does nowadays goes right. If one player fails, there is another who can step up to fill the gap. The depth of talent available in India is awesome.
But in the midst of this glorious scenario, there is one worrying factor that is on the rise. Like a cancer, it is spreading its tentacles and it may cripple Indian cricket unless steps are taken immediately to uproot this dangerous malady. That creeping affliction is the toxic atmosphere that is surging on social media and has enveloped the leading players as well as the team in its grasp.
The irresponsible and hateful comments on social media are hurting Indian cricket in many ways. Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently exposed the growing fractures within the game. By addressing the “superstar culture” and the manufactured narratives on social media, Ashwin exposed the manner in which the sport is being manipulated and opinions are influenced by vested interests on social media.
Fanbase is fragmented says Ashwin
For decades, the Indian fan base was solidly behind the Indian team. There may have been individual fan following too, but it was never at the cost of the team’s unity and integrity. Ashwin has stated that today, many fans are a fragmented collection of individual camps where loyalty to a specific player often outweighs the collective success of the national side.
Although Ashwin has not named anyone, every cricket follower knows that nowadays there is a Dhoni camp, Kohli camp, Gambhir camp and so on. Each group venerates its hero and vilifies the others. Social media provides an opaque platform for the culprits to hide behind and take potshots at those who are perceived to be rivals of the chosen hero. The effect that this has on the players and the neutral fans is considerable.
Journalist too faced abuse
The well-known sports journalist, Boria Majumdar, has written that if India had been eliminated in the recent ICC T20 World Cup, things would have spiralled out of control. Every player would have been labelled a national villain and Gautam Gambhir would have faced venom for days on end.
Majumdar has written: “Things could have turned truly dire – and that is the extreme we need to guard against. There is little doubt that the sport is followed passionately in India. But nothing explains the level of vitriol we see these days. The moment India lost in Ahmedabad, questions began circulating about whether Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav ought to be sacked. When I suggested such questions could wait a few days, a barrage of abuse followed.”
If a journalist, who is not directly involved in the action, can be subjected to abuse on social media for voicing his opinion, imagine what a player has to go through. For every missed catch, misfield or mistimed shot, he has to deal with abusive and hate-filled comments from people who probably never played the game seriously.
Yet, they are armchair pundits who dissect and discredit every player who has reached the top level donning the Indian colours.
There is victory as well as defeat in every sport. That is what the contest is about. Not every day can be yours, and even the best may fall on some occasions. Mature fans understand this, but, unfortunately, these days, the knowledgeable followers of the game are outnumbered by the immature and ignorant ones.
Calls to boycott Sunrisers Hyderabad
Recently, Kavya Maran was subjected to abuse because she bought Pakistani bowler Abrar Ahmed for the Sunrisers Leeds team that will take part in the Hundred cricket tournament in the UK. Some comments called her a traitor and many wanted the Sunrisers Hyderabad team to be boycotted in the IPL.
The broad picture has to be kept in mind. It is a game of cricket. She has chosen a Pakistani player because the rules of the tournament in England allow her to do so. Under these circumstances, to categorise her as a “traitor who has betrayed India,” is a ridiculously exaggerated reaction.
Irresponsible people in media too
Unfortunately, many so-called experts in the media are also susceptible to this frenzy. In order to get increased readership or viewership, they feed this hatred that they see among the fans. YouTube channels, which survive on social media numbers, thrive on negativity and nurture hatred. Abuse becomes legitimised and poison is accorded a respectable platform.
Such people are not knowledgeable journalists. The famous journalists and commentators of the past, such as Jack Fingleton, Richie Benaud, John Arlott, AFS. Talayarkhan or Balu Alaganan and others, knew the game inside out and were sober in expressing their views. Their opinions were based on keen analysis, not blind emotions.
All genuine fans and well-wishers of the Indian team must choose their words carefully when creating posts on social media. And also use their judgement when liking and commenting on posts that promote hate and divisiveness. Using an analytical method to judge a player or a team is the correct thing to do under all circumstances.
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