Ever since Mohammed Shami posted a picture of himself with his wife on Facebook, things haven’t been the same for the Indian fast bowler. Not only did he receive plenty of backlash but had to silence the trolls once and for all on Twitter. Now, his fellow fast bowler Umesh Yadav has come to his defence claiming that attacking cricketers seems to be the latest “fad”.
Speaking to Times of India, the 29-year-old fast bowler defended Shami, who silenced the trolls that abused him and his wife Hasin Jahan for the picture in which she was wearing a maroon sleeveless gown and hailed his fellow pacer for providing them with a fitting reply.
Extra Cover: Mohammed Shami silences trolls after a picture with his wife sparks outrage
“It seems to be a fad these days to attack the cricketers, their partners or film stars,” Umesh Yadav said. “To hit out at women is the most cowardly thing to do. Nobody has the right to tell you what to wear or not to wear.
“Shami has no problem with his wife wearing a gown, who gave a right to all these guys to comment? These trolls don't have any work. In fact, they are the most frustrated people; they need to get a life. And Shami has given them a befitting reply on social media.”
When asked about what his reaction would be if there was similar outrage about something his wife Tanya was wearing, Umesh admitted that he would do exactly what Shami did and admitted that these trolls need to stop hiding behind a computer.
“My reaction would also be like that of Shami. Tanya is my life partner, she has every right to do what she likes. I would challenge anybody who objects to her right to be herself and ask him to come and make all those comments to my face. Bhai saamne aake baat kar na,” he added.
Extra Cover: 5 instances when fans went against Indian cricketers on social media for silliest of reasons
The fast bowler who has formed a great partnership with Shami also heaped praise on India’s Test captain Virat Kohli after India ended 2016 unbeaten in Tests and on an 18-game unbeaten run in the longest format of the game. He added that the right-hander has motivated the players both on and off the pitch.
“Ever since Virat has become the Test captain, he has motivated everyone to stand for others —both on and off the pitch,” he said. “He told us if we take pride in others’ achievements and repose faith in our mates, we will do even better. This mantra is translating into all this positivity and bonding that everyone is talking about. We are all playing as a team and achieving for one another. “
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
