(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi started a vociferous march against online abuse after being subjected to internet trolling recently.
Shamsi had taken Suryakumar’s Yadav wicket in the second T20I of the series between India and South Africa. This was followed by his customary shoe-call celebration. However, a few Indian fans felt offended by this unharmful gesture, responding to Shamsi with a barrage of abusive comments.
“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,” Shamsi said as quoted to Cricbuzz.
The 33-year-old has called for rallied support from players, asking them to speak up and be vocal in their fight towards cyberbullying.
“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.
“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,” Shamsi stated.