Team India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh was trolled brutally following India’s match against Pakistan, in the ongoing Asia cup, on Sunday. India lost the match against Pakistan as he dropped Pakistan's Asif Ali in a chase.
The dropped catch drew flak against Arshdeep and he faced a barrage of criticism on social media. The hatred grew to such an extent that his wikipedia page was edited making references to Khalistani.
Amid the repugnance, Arshdeep's parents emerged as the beam of positivity.
Arshdeep’s father, Darshan Singh, who has served with the CISF and his mother Baljit Kaur were in the Dubai International Stadium where the match was played. They witnessed what the entire nation had witnessed but that did not deter them and they do not want their son to be deterred by the hatred.
"As a parent, it feels really bad"
“As a parent, it feels really bad. He is only 23. I don’t want to say much about trolls. You can’t shut everyone’s mouth. Without fans, there is no game. There are some who stand by you no matter what and others who can’t digest a single loss. But at the end of the day, only one team can win,” Darshan Singh told the Indian Express.
The parents believe that hatred and criticism will help the 23 year old to grow better and stronger.
"We don't mind trolls"
“We don’t mind trolls. It will only strengthen the resolve to do better. We don’t mind trolls. It will only strengthen the resolve to do better. No person can improve if they don’t have critics. We don’t know about any investigation. People get emotional and say things. It will not deter Arshdeep,” Arshdeep’s parents told India Today.
Backing this, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also said that cricketers should not pay heed to hateful comments and trolls.
"We are taking it positively"
"We went to watch the match. India-Pak matches are always interesting. Fans get emotional, angry when their team loses and say a few words. We are taking it positively and there is no problem," his father told news agency ANI. His statement was based on the temperament of the cricket fans during matches, especially the one that is played against Pakistan. Fans invest a lot of emotions on their players and get frustrated when the team is defeated and that’s what might have driven the hatred towards their son, Arshdeep’s parents believe.
"...it means they love him."
"We also watched the first match and the second match was also good but silly mistakes happen and can happen by anyone. People have a habit to say, let them say. If people are commenting on it, it means they love him," his mother told ANI.
"He will shine"
In another interview his parents, who are confident about his potential as a cricketer, have said that, “Arshdeep told me that he himself is reading the comments. He is taking criticism positively and will use it to improve his game. There is a lot left in the tournament. He will shine.”
Born on February 5, 1999, 23 year old Arshdeep was born in Madhya Pradesh's Guna. He is a big fan of Irfan Pathan and Wasim Akram. “I started as a pacer as I idolized Irfan Pathan sir after his hat-trick against Pakistan and would also watch Wasim Akram sir’s bowling. The way he used to swing the ball remains a benchmark for all. I hope I can meet them one day," he had revealed in an interview.
