Team India opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a 10-wicket loss against Pakistan.
Former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan said that fans should support Team India irrespective of the result and feels that there’s no reason why the Virat Kohli-led side can’t win the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 despite a slow start.
Following Team India’s loss to Pakistan in the first match of the T20 World Cup 2021, many fans attacked Mohammad Shami and his family with racial slurs and abuse on his social media platforms for his poor bowling performance.
Many cricketers along with pundits across the globe came in support of the fast bowler and shared their views on the same.
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Speaking while responding to a question during an online interaction of an Abu Dhabi T10 league conference, former Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan said that a cricketer always gives his 100 percent and doesn’t want to lose.
He added that fans should motivate Team India rather than demotivating them as it took 29 years for Pakistan to defeat them.
“As I said, no cricket team or cricketer wants to lose…we all give 100 per cent. As a fan I would say it is just one match, it is the start of the tournament. As fans, we have to motivate the team and don’t demotivate (them). We have to support our team. It took 29 years to lose one match (to Pakistan),” Yusuf Pathan said.
Pathan said that fans should back Team India and show them that they are behind them irrespective of the result. He added that he doesn’t see why the Virat Kohli-led can’t win the World Cup from here.
“We have to back the 15 players who have been selected for the World Cup. We have to back the players and show that we are behind them. When the team wins, there is a lot of praise. During tough times also, when we lose we should show support to them.
“They will do well. It is just the first game of the World Cup. There are still games to be played… We can win (the WC) from here. I don’t see why we can’t do it,” he said.
While talking about Hardik Pandya, Pathan said an unfit cricketer shouldn't find a place in the team. He suggested the names of Ishan Kishan, Shardul Thakur and Shreyas Iyer as replacements but left it to the team management to decide the path ahead.
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“I don’t know what the team management is thinking. If a cricketer is unfit, he does not have a place in the team. An all-rounder has a big role to play in the team. The player (all-rounder) has to contribute to the team.
“There are several cricketers who can replace him, like Ishan Kishan, who did well in the IPL, there is Shardul Thakur, who has done well as an all-rounder recently, did well in England.
“The team management can only tell what they are thinking. Shreyas Iyer is also there as a pure batter, he has played well in the last two years. What the team management thinks is very important,” he said.
Team India will next lock horns against New Zealand on 31st October.
(PTI inputs)