Ex-Indian cricket player Yograj Singh roundly criticized Shama Mohamed for making a contentious comment about India's captain, Rohit Sharma.
Venting his anger, Yograj was no holds barred as he responded to Mohamed's commentary about the Indian captain. Stating that in the event of him being prime minister, he would have made her pack "her bags and leave the nation."
Mohamed had also questioned Rohit's fitness, asserting that the Indian captain must "lose weight." She further defined him as "fat" for a professional sportsman and called him "the most unimpressive captain" in the history of India's cricket.
Her comment emerged in the wake of Rohit's 15 (17) dismissal in India's last group-stage match against New Zealand during the Champions Trophy on Sunday. With India planning to play the semi-finals against Australia, her statement evoked mass anger, inviting scathing criticism from all corners of the country.
In response to her claim, Yograj, the father of ex-cricketer Yuvraj Singh, said to ANI, "I have only one thing to say, jiska kaam usee ko saaje aur kare to danda baaje (the work only suits those to whom it belongs; if done by anyone else, it is ruined). Indian cricketers, people, and the land are more precious to me than my own life. If anybody in the political arena makes a statement like this regarding a player who has earned pride for our country, he or she should be ashamed."
He also added, "They have no right to remain in our country. Cricket is our religion; we lost to New Zealand and Australia, and a lot of things were said about Rohit and Virat. We defended them. I feel so sad. Such things happen in Pakistan. Their ex-star player said, 'Who will eat so many bananas?' (Taking a jibe at Wasim Akram). Action should be taken. This should not be tolerated. If I were the prime minister, I would have said, pack your bags and leave the country."
After the backlash, Mohamed later justified her statement during an exchange with ANI, saying, "It was a generic tweet about a sportsperson being fit. It was not body-shaming. I always used to feel that a sports person must be fit, and I felt he was slightly overweight, so I just tweeted about that. I have been attacked unnecessarily. When I was comparing him with past captains, I made a statement. I have that right. What is wrong in saying that? It is a democracy."
Read also| This is not our home, pitch has given us different challenges, Says Rohit Sharma
Read also| BCCI Secretary Slams Fat-Shaming Remarks on Rohit Sharma, Calls Them Unacceptable
