Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shamis slams trolls targeting Muslim cricketers in India
New Delhi: The Indian fast bowler, Mohammed Shami finds himself facing online abuse by Indians mostly Hindus because of his religion in the cricket team in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, India’s star pacer Mohammed Shami in an interview with News24 hit back at a wave of online abuse directed at Muslim cricketers, calling such trolling “disrespectful, divisive, and against the spirit of the game.”
Mohammed Shami, who rose from a small town in Uttar Pradesh state to become one of the finest cricketers sometimes finds himself facing online abuse because of his religion.
Shami, who has faced vitriolic comments on social media in the past, particularly after India’s loss to Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, said that players should be judged for their performance and commitment to the team, not their faith. He was bitterly attacked by sections of social media after India lost to Pakistan in 2021. He was even called “a traitor” and “anti-national.”
During the interview the 34-year-old fast bowler Shami opened up about the toll such trolling can take — especially when directed against Muslim cricketers.
When asked whether Muslim cricketers get ‘targeted’ more — sometimes even more so when the Indian cricket team is playing Pakistan. His response was blunt.
Now he was not picked for India’s tour of England in June–August after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deemed him unfit to bowl long spells. The 34-year-old has not played Test cricket for India since the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023. However, he was not considered for the Asia Cup 2025, a T20I tournament scheduled to begin on 9 September in the UAE.
When asked if he was ready for the Asia Cup, Shami said he was, pointing out that his inclusion in the Duleep Trophy squad demonstrates his readiness to endure the rigours of competitive cricket.
