Virat Kohli has lambasted “spineless people on social media” who criticised Mohammed Shami after India’s T20 World Cup loss to Pakistan, labelling them “pathetic”.
Shami was condemned by some in cyberspace after he conceded 43 runs in 3.5 overs in India's 10-wicket defeat to their neighbours in Dubai last Sunday.
Some of the comments focused on the fast bowler's religion, and termed him an “agent” for Pakistan.
A number of former players spoke out to support Shami, and Kohli used his pre-match press conference ahead of India’s game against New Zealand on Sunday to defend his teammate.
“There’s a reason we are playing on the field and not some bunch of spineless people on social media, who have no courage to speak to any individual in person,” Kohli said.
“They hide behind their entities and go after people through social media, making fun of people. That has become a source of entertainment in today’s world, which is so unfortunate and sad to see.
“This is literally the lowest level of human potential that one can operate at. That’s how I look at these people.”
Kohli said his teammates all understand “the strength of character and the mental toughness that we have,” but that it is not shared by the online trolls.
“None of these people are even in the vicinity to imagine doing something like that, or have the courage or the spine to do that,” Kohli said.
“All this drama that is created on the outside is purely based on people’s frustrations, their lack of self-confidence, their lack of compassion.
“Hence, they find it so amusing to go after people. As a group, we understand how we need to stick together, how we need to back individuals, how we need to focus on our strengths.”
Kohli reiterated his side had been “outplayed” as a team by Pakistan, and said they were “itching to go back on the park” against New Zealand after a seven-day break between matches.
And he said all of his colleagues would be backing Shami “200 per cent”.
“Attacking someone over their religion is the most pathetic thing a human being can do,” Kohli said.
“Everyone has the right to voice their opinions and what they feel about certain situations.
“I personally have never ever even thought of discriminating a person over their religion. That is a very sacred and personal thing to every human being.
“People take out their frustrations because they obviously have no understanding of what we do as individuals. They have no understanding of how much effort we put in on the field.
“They have no understanding of the fact Mohammed Shami has won India n-number of matches in the last few years.
“He has been our primary bowler with Jasprit Bumrah when it comes to making an impact in matches.
“If people can overlook that and his passion for the country, I don’t want to waste one minute of my life giving attention to those people. Neither does Shami or anyone else in the team.”
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
