5 cricketers who are always made scapegoats when the team loses

Winning and losing is a part of the game, they say. So is a slump and a revival in form. No cricketer has been at his peak for the entire duration of his career. There are ups and downs in every player’s form, but when the slump coincides with the team’s loss, some of them are not as lucky as others, to get away with it easily.The media and fans alike, play the blame game and accuse these players to be the sole reason behind the team’s loss, easily forgetting their match-winning performances in victorious outings.Here’s a look at some of these cricketers, who are invariably made the scapegoats whenever the team loses.

#1 Rohit Sharma

From “HitMan” to “MaggiMan”, his nickname does a perennial see-saw

Rohit Sharma has been a permanent player for Team India for quite a while now. Though his form may seem chaotic and is similar to a roller coaster ride, he sometimes scintillates all with a fiery knock that silences critics in a flash. The special feat of being the only cricketer in the whole world to have 2 double centuries to his name in ODIs leaves little to be told. When he’s on a song, he’s a treat to watch and fans simply celebrate him as the “Hit Man”.

But fans are equally voracious when he doesn’t perform. They go all the way to brand him the sole reason for the team’s loss. If Rohit gets out cheaply and India loses, critics are only too eager to point fingers at him. How easily he goes from being called a “Hit-Man” in one match to being called a “Maggi Man” in the next, is a record of its own.

#2 Shane Watson

The injury-prone Watson is always at the receiving end of criticism

Shane Watson’s injury-ridden career has forced him to be sidelined in games one too many. Hence, his performances in the matches that he did play were closely observed by fans and media, who expected him to give dazzling performances. Failing to do so, tempted everyone to condemn him for his abysmal performance.

Though he may have only been one of the reasons for the team’s loss, his performance was more often than not highlighted and shown to be almost the only single cause for the loss. Over the years, he has received a lot of flak from the Australian public.

But when he did display his mettle and gave match-winning performances, he wasn’t really appreciated enough. All his good performances are forgotten when a single bad day comes his way.

#3 Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah is unlucky to have ended his ODI career sans a century

While Rahul Dravid was recognized as the backbone of Indian Cricket and was often called the Wall of India, few really noticed the extent of Misbah’s role in Pakistan Cricket. Misbah had saved the team from early collapses, danger of embarrassingly low totals, and possible losses.

He often stood his ground and made sure that his team reached the safety line on numerous occasions. Yet, his performances are hardly acknowledged by fans, who expect the best batsman of the team to score a century on almost every outing.

The elusive 3-digit-score always evaded Misbah, as he got out on the nervous 90s on several occasions. The tryst between him and a century was never to happen, as the unlucky cricketer ended his ODI career sans a century to his name.

This did not augur well with followers of Pakistan Cricket, as they always criticized him for his inability to score a century. Every loss of the team was attributed to his performance, and the absence of an ODI hundred blind sighted them to see beyond that number and realize what a gem Pakistan Cricket has lost.

#4 Mahendra Singh Dhoni

A player who has more haters than fans in his own country

The post-Ganguly era of Indian Cricket saw this one man elevate an already strong Indian team to a higher level. Under his leadership, India achieved the glory of winning the 50-over World Cup for the first time in 28 years. His popularity among the Indian fans transcended the skies.

But soon after, a few shock losses and the inability of the team to win Test matches overseas, took the driver’s seat. His fame suffered a steep slide, and he was criticized heavily for his “tactless” leadership. Many voiced out opinions that he no longer had it in him to be at the helm and wanted him to quit. The recent failures down under and against Bangladesh, further strengthened the remarks of critics.

Dhoni is among the rare few who has as many haters in his own country as true fans who are always by his side. People blame him for every loss, and he also obliges by owning up to the losses himself. A great leader, no doubt.

#5 Indian Pacers

Indian pacers are not appreciated enough when they do well, but are easily hammered when the going gets tough

Last but not the least, it is the pace battery of Indian Cricket, that suffers blows from all quarters, whenever the team loses. Indian players occupying a majority of space in this list? Yes, because emotions drive fans in this country more than reasoning. Fans of other countries are comparatively more kind towards their players.

Cricket is a batsman’s game as much as it is a bowler’s game. The bowlers can only do so much on a given day, to help the team’s cause. Their performance is also affected by the nature of the pitch. Accusing fast bowlers of not performing well on a spin-friendly wicket, goes to show the lack of maturity among the fans. If the Indian team fails, the limelight immediately falls on the pacers, with people perennially claiming that India does not have a strong pace attack.

When the pace bowling unit does do well and manages to annihilate the opposition, few really appreciate their performance. Their individual performances often get overshadowed by batsmen. Unless they display a strong show of taking 5-wicket hauls, people hardly seem to notice the roles they play in the team’s victories.