Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has spoken out against the online trolling and booing of Mumbai Indians’ captain, Hardik Pandya, during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Ashwin, known for his insightful views on the game, expressed his concern over the escalating fan wars and urged for a more respectful approach towards players.
In a live stream on his YouTube channel with cricket analyst Prasanna Agoram, Ashwin addressed the issue, stating, “Fan wars are turning very ugly. Enjoy what you like about your favorites but not at the cost of putting another player down.”
He emphasized that both the franchise and the player have no role in the trolling and that the responsibility lies solely with the fans.
“Neither has any role to play. Neither the franchise not the player has a role to play in this at all. I think the responsibility and the onus lies on the fans,” Ashwin said.
The veteran cricketer highlighted the importance of unity among fans and cited examples from other cricketing nations where such fan rivalries are not prevalent. He questioned the need for players to be booed and emphasized that players represent their country and should be respected accordingly.
“Have you seen this happen in any other country? Have you seen Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans fight? Or have you seen Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fight? It’s crazy. Have you seen Steve Smith and Pat Cummins fans fight in Australia? I’ve said this many times. This is cricket. This is a cinema culture. I know there are things like marketing, positioning and branding. I don’t deny it. I don’t believe in all this on my side but it’s not wrong to indulge either. Fan wars should never go in this ugly a route. One should remember which country these players represent- our country. So then what warrants a cricketer getting booed?” Ashwin added.
Ashwin also emphasized the need for fans to understand the real-time emotions involved in sports and to find a balance in their support for players. He called for an end to the practice of booing players and putting them down, stating that this behavior should disappear from the face of the earth.
“I don’t understand. If you don’t like a player and boo a player, why should a team come out to issue a clarification? We act like this has not happened before. (Sourav) Ganguly played under Sachin (Tendulkar) and vice versa. These two have both played under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy. These three have played under Anil Kumble and all of them have played under Dhoni. When they were under Dhoni, these players were cricket jambhavans (giants). Dhoni too played under Virat,” he said.
“We need to get our act together. You know what the problem is? We are all happy to sit in our houses, look outside and someone else to pick up the trash. We don’t want to bother doing it ourselves. We should correct ourselves first. This is real time sports. Real times sports have real time emotions. How we go beyond that, counter it and find balance to play cricket is what this is all about. A real sport can never be compared to cinema. Heroes and hero worships are great. I am all for it. Enjoy what you like about your favourites but not at the cost of putting another player down. This is one thing I’d love to see disappear from the face of the earth in our country,” Ashwin added.
The Mumbai Indians have had a rough start to the IPL 2024 season, losing both their opening games. Hardik Pandya, who recently moved to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans, has been targeted by fans, especially during the match against his former team.
Ashwin’s comments come at a time when the issue of online trolling and abuse of players has been a subject of concern in the cricketing world. His words serve as a reminder to fans to support their teams and players in a positive and respectful manner.
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