South Africa's left-arm chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi has shared that the celebration he performed after dismissing Suryakumar Yadav led to online abuse directed at him and his wife. He has urged individuals who face such violations online to speak out against them. Shamsi's own experience serves as a cautionary tale for those considering expressing themselves on the internet.
On numerous occasions, including after taking a wicket, Shamsi has engaged in a celebration where he removes a boot and pretends to talk into it as if it were a phone. He performed this celebration after catching Yadav at long-off during the second T20I at St George's Park on December 12. However, some fans from India did not appreciate this gesture.
"People took it in a negative way; they thought it was disrespectful," Shamsi told Cricbuzz.
"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.”
"I feel that if players don't say anything about it, then people think they have a 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."
The 33-year-old used social media the day after the Gqeberha match to address his critics, stating: "It's just a fun celebration which a lot of kids enjoy and means no disrespect towards the batter. All you guys hurling abuse are just giving other genuine cricket-loving fans from your country a bad name."
Rather than calming the situation or encouraging further discussion, Shamsi's post on social media garnered more instances of harsh criticism. One reaction read, "M**********r, don't ever try to do this in front of Indian players. We will put your attitude in your ass. Don't try to ruin your career. Keep your attitude and arrogance in your pocket. Bowlers like you are available in pedestrian areas on every corner of India. So shut up. Just shut up." Another advised Shamsi to "stay within your limits" and said he was "like a worm licking the shoes of the Indian team," adding, "you are a m**********r."
Shamsi recognised that public figures, including sportsmen, often find themselves at a disadvantage in the realm of social media. He expressed that, “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 added.
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