'We are proud of you': After Shami faces hate comments following India-Pak match, Tendulkar, Irfan Pathan slam trolls

Team India's defeat in T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on Sunday led to an angry army of trolls attacking pacer Mohammad Shami on social media.

However, another section of Twitter users urged the Men in Blue - who had taken the knee ahead of the match to extend their support to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement - to speak up in support of their teammate.

Soon after, several Indian cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar, Irfan Pathan and Virender Sehwag took to social media on Monday to extend their support to Shami.


Calling Shami "a committed, world-class bowler," the Master Blaster said that when we support Team India we support every person who plays for the squad.


Pathan slammed the fascists and said things weren't so bad when he played.

"Even I was part of #IndvsPak battles on the field where we have lost but never been told to go to Pakistan! I’m talking about ???? of few years back. THIS CRAP NEEDS TO STOP," Pathan tweeted.


Former Team India player Harbhajan Singh sent across love to the pacer.


Shami's teammate Yuzvendra Chahal said they are proud of him.


Sehwag called the attack on Shami "shocking" and said we stand by him.


Earlier, the Virat Kohli-led team's gesture in support for BLM had received a mixed response on social media.

While a section of users lauded the team for the BLM support gesture, many users took to Twitter to point out that while the team was making a statement for BLM, they were quiet on atrocities faced by minorities in their country. Others also called out the Indian team for not speaking up against the attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangaldesh.








Several users also shared screenshots of the hate comments of Mohammed Shami's Instagram account after India lost the match, and asked the Men in Blue to speak up for him.



One user pointed out that "after the racist attacks against few English players at Euro, the team came in support of them. India's hockey skipper Rani Rampal criticized casteist remarks against a teammate."

Adding that now it was time for Kohli & Co to take a stand as "Sanghis have started abusing Md. Shami after the loss."


Another user also recalled England football captain Harry Kane standing up for his teammates when the team's black players were targeted post Euro 2020.

"After England's black players were targeted post Euro 2020, Harry Kane had told the racist fans that they're not needed. Today, Mohammad Shami is being abused after India lost to Pakistan. Time for India's Hindu players to stand up for their Muslim teammate.
#INDvPAK," he tweeted


One user said that a possible reason behind Team India's gesture could be that that "cricket is rapidly becoming popular in the U.S."


The Men in Blue had on Sunday extended support for the BLM movement by taking the knee ahead of the T20 World Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan, who stood with their hands on their hearts.

The BLM movement gained momentum after African-American George Floyd died in Minneapolis in May last year when a police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on Floyd's neck. Sportspersons, including cricketers across the world, have taken the knee to show support to the movement against racism.

The Indian team was making the gesture for the first time.

Replying to an ANI query on the decision to take the knee, skipper Virat Kohli said that it was "communicated to us by the management, the Pakistan team agreed to pay their tribute to the same cause."

"We accepted our side of things and that was how it was decided," he added.

Team India lost the match by 10 wickets to the Babar Azam-led team. This is the first time that India has lost a T20I match by ten wickets.


(With inputs from PTI & ANI)