Storm over dropped catch will make Arshdeep stronger, say dad and mom who watched recreation at Dubai stadium

FAST BOWLER Arshdeep Singh’s father Darshan Singh, a former Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Inspector with 25 years of service behind him, watched from the stands of the Dubai International Stadium because the Asia Cup recreation in opposition to Pakistan slipped away from India — and his son was made the scapegoat for the defeat.

Sunday’s Super 4 recreation was the primary time that Darshan and his spouse Baljeet Kaur watched their son play for the nation from a stadium. But after Arshdeep dropped Pakistan’s Asif Ali in a tense chase, he confronted a barrage of criticism on social media with an unidentified consumer even modifying the participant’s Wikipedia web page so as to add references to “Khalistan”.

“As a parent, it feels really bad. He is only 23. I don’t want to say much about trolls. You can’t shut everyone’s mouth. Without fans, there is no game. There are some who stand by you no matter what and others who can’t digest a single loss. But at the end of the day, only one team can win,” Darshan, who landed in Chandigarh from Dubai on Monday night, instructed The Indian Express.

On Monday, the Ministry of Electronics and IT summoned executives of the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, searching for an evidence on how the web page of the cricketer was edited so as to add inflammatory content material. At the identical time, a number of former India gamers and political leaders rallied in Arshdeep’s assist.

Sunday’s Super 4 recreation was the primary time that Darshan and his spouse Baljeet Kaur watched their son play for the nation from a stadium. (File)

Darshan and Baljeet “spoke to Arshdeep before boarding” the Dubai-Chandigarh flight. To their aid, Arshdeep had taken all of the criticism on the chin and was upbeat. “His exact words were, ‘I am laughing at all these tweets and messages. I am only going to take positives from it. This incident has only given me more confidence’,” Darshan, who’s at present the chief of safety in a personal firm, mentioned.

“Arshdeep told us that the whole Indian team is supporting him,” Baljeet mentioned.

Ali was but to get off the mark when Arshdeep dropped the catch at quick third man off the bowling of leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi within the 18th over. Pakistan have been 151 for 4 at that stage whereas chasing 182. In the final over, Arshdeep gave India hope when he trapped Ali (18 off eight balls) LBW within the fourth ball. But the bowler had simply seven runs to defend in that over and Pakistan gained with a ball and 5 wickets to spare.

“If he had to defend 10-12 runs, he would have won it for India,” Darshan mentioned.

Despite the fallout, Arshdeep’s dad and mom plan to return for the ultimate. “If India qualifies for the final, we will be in Dubai. We want to be there if India wins the Asia Cup. Arshdeep told us that he is looking forward to contributing to an India win,” Darshan mentioned.

According to him, Sunday’s scapegoat might have been from the Pakistan workforce if the match had gone India’s means. “It could have been Fakhar Zaman because of the catch he dropped and the misfield at the end of India’s innings. Every cricketer wants to win the game for his country. No one plays to lose. Arshdeep will only get mentally stronger after this,” Darshan mentioned.

Arshdeep’s mom, in the meantime, has discovered a silver lining amid the storm. “Those who are abusing Arsh must have high hopes from him. They are saying all these things out of emotion. When he does well, all these things will be forgotten,” Baljeet mentioned.