Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the credentials of those who have been critical of India cricketer Arshdeep Singh after he dropped a catch of Pakistan batter Asif Ali during an Asia Cup 2022 match in Dubai on Sunday. Asif was yet to open his account when he was offered a lifeline and following that, he belted two fours and a six in an 8-ball 16 to decisively swing the tense contest in Pakistan’s favour.
Soon, social media was flooded with unsavoury remarks directed at the young pacer following which there was a swift backlash from current and former cricketers.
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Gavaskar said that such critics cannot even catch the ball and hence their comments don’t matter.
“No former cricketer has criticised Arshdeep,” Gavaskar said on Sports Tak.
“Who are these people who are critical of Arshdeep? Why do we need to give credence to them? How many of them can catch the ball that flies into the stands. Rarely anyone. So how does their comments matter,” he added.
Arshdeep’s coach Jaswant Rai was also taken aback by the vitriol directed at his ward. “I didn’t expect something like this. He shouldn’t have been trolled for the drop catch. It’s a part of the game and India still had the chance to win the match. Pakistani batters should be appreciated for the way they played. I request people to watch the game with passion and not troll players,” Rai told India Today.
In fact, Arshdeep was one of the two India bowlers on Sunday who escaped without much punishment while the other three conceded at least 10 runs per over.
“People are emotional about cricket in India, especially when it’s about a high-voltage match against Pakistan. Winning and losing are part and parcels of a game. The same people praised Arshdeep after he got two wickets in the opening game. Making an issue of a drop catch is wrong,” Rai said.
India will face Sri Lanka on Tuesday in what is a must-win game for the Rohit Sharma-led side if they hope to make it to the final of the tournament.
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