Former India coach Ravi Shastri has come out in support of pacer Mohammad Shami, who was targeted by trolls on social media following India’s 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in a T20 World Cup match in Dubai last month.
Team India were outplayed in the marquee clash as they posted a part total of 151/7 in 20 overs and Pakistan chased it down with 13 balls to spare.
Shami had a tough outing against the arch-rivals, conceding 43 runs in his 3.5 overs. After the game, the fast bowler’s Instagram feed was filled with deplorable comments and abuses.
See ALso: "I would like to invite some of them for a drink," Ravi Shastri has his say on trolls
According to Shastri, whose tenure as head coach ended with India’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign, Shami has been one of the key members of this team and it was ridiculous to single him out for the loss.
"I heard about it later and that was ridiculous. Mohammad Shami, for me, has been champion. He has been one of the real integral part of this team over the last five years. If we have won anything overseas, we have won in India, Shami, with Ishant (Sharma), Jasprit (Bumrah), Umesh (Yadav), they have been absolutely fabulous.
"And to single one guy out for a game, it's like someone saying that Pakistan lost the semi-final because someone dropped a catch, which is ridiculous," Shastri told NDTV in an exclusive chat.
He also praised India skipper Virat Kohli for speaking up for Shami, who has represented the country in 54 Tests, 79 ODIs, and 17 T20Is so far.
On the eve of India's second T20 World Cup match against New Zealand, Kohli had termed the abusers of Shami as “spineless people” and added that their brotherhood cannot be shaken.
"I thought Virat was brilliant in that press conference when he stood up for Shami and spoke the way he did. Hats off to him!", Shastri said.
Bio-bubble fatigue was cited as one of the main reasons behind India’s Super 12 stage exit from the T20 World Cup 2021.
Shastri also spoke about India's packed international schedule and Virat Kohli taking a break from the upcoming T20I series and the opening Test against New Zealand.
"In these times of Covid, which is unprecedented since the Second World War, I don't think one individual can be on the road for the amount of time the Indian team is on the road. I think you need to be able to take a break. Not just Virat, everyone in the team at some time will need a break because they are humans," he remarked.
Commenting on India’s underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign, Shastri said: "I don't give excuses. We weren't up to scratch. Pakistan was a good game; they played better than us, they beat us. (Against) New Zealand, we could have shown a little more daring, little more spunk and got out there a little more aggressive in our mindsets and action-wise."
Under Shastri, Team India did reasonably well, winning two successive Test series in Australia and a number of bilateral series in white-ball cricket but the team couldn’t lift an ICC trophy.
"You should know when your sell-by date is up. Seven years is a long time to be sitting there and being judged with guns pointed at my direction. If I was 10 years younger, maybe I would have done it (for) two years longer. But the time is up and my mind was very clear in England itself that once this term is over, I will go, irrespective of what happens in the T20 World Cup," he said.
(With NDTV inputs)
