South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi became the focus of a social media storm on December 12 after a unique wicket celebration during the second Twenty20 International against India at St George’s Park. In the fast-paced world of cricket, celebrations and gestures often add an extra layer of excitement to the game.
Known for his peculiar celebrations, Tabraiz Shamsi most recent antics included taking off his boot and phoning a phone call, mimicking an Indian batter, Suryakumar Yadav, being dismissed. But when some Indian fans viewed it as rude, what was supposed to be a lighthearted moment became a social media drama.
Tabraiz Shamsi said to Cricbuzz, “People interpreted it negatively and felt it was disrespectful.” “I was the target of a lot of abuse. Most likely, it was the worst one yet. My wife was the target of abuse as well. I was not grateful for that. It is inappropriate. It’s acceptable to make fun of the athletes, but bringing up family members and saying hurtful things elevates the situation.
“I think people assume players have free reign if they remain silent about it. More individuals must stand up and declare that this is unacceptable. True enough, we’re all doing our best. Yes, there is a chance that you won’t agree with everything or that your team won’t win. But you have to act like a person. You can’t behave like an animal,” he declared.
Tabraiz Shamsi defended his celebration on social media in reaction to the criticism, writing, “It’s just a fun celebration that a lot of kids enjoy and means no disrespect towards the batter.” All of you insulting people are doing more harm than good to other sincere cricket enthusiasts in your nation.”
But his efforts to defuse the situation only served to fan the flames, with some of the replies bordering on insults. Tabraiz Shamsi urged more gamers to voice their opposition to such actions and emphasized the need to maintain a polite online community.
People know that we athletes are unable to fully respond, so they take advantage of that. I never hesitate to voice my opinions, so when someone crosses a boundary, I occasionally give them the benefit of the doubt. But you’ll never prevail in that conflict.”
Shamsi’s story exposes the darker side of social media, where athletes and other popular personalities frequently receive unfair criticism. The cricket player participated in the discussion of how the ICC handles players’ facial expressions when they are playing.
The ICC should specify precisely what Khawaja did incorrectly, in my opinion. Tabraiz Shamsi
The International Criminal Court (ICC) threatened and prosecuted Australian hitter Usman Khawaja for his efforts to spread the word about Israel’s conduct in Gaza. In addition to challenging the unfairness of the situation and demanding clarification on what players are allowed to say on the pitch, Shamsi expressed his support for Khawaja.
“I want the ICC to clarify exactly what went wrong with [Khawaja].” Why do we apply different standards to everything?” Marnus Labuschagne has a stylised eagle on his bat, symbolising his favourite bible scripture, and many cricket players have taken a knee in solidarity of Black Lives Matter (BLM). The West Indies still wear the BLM insignia on their collars,” he continued.
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