NEW DELHI: Arshdeep Singh, an Indian cricketer, received a barrage of online abuse on Monday after he missed a catch against Pakistan, with much of the hate speech focussing on the fact that he is a member of the Sikh community.
When the 23-year-old was bowling in the dramatic Asia Cup match between the two archrivals on Sunday, when Pakistan triumphed in the decisive over in Dubai, Singh missed the simple but essential opportunity.
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As a result of Singh’s Wikipedia entry being momentarily changed to associate him with the Khalistan Sikh separatist movement, the authorities reportedly called executives from the free-to-edit online resource. One Twitter user claimed, “He is a Khalistani and has covert relations with Pakistan.”
Another person said, “Arshdeep Singh has accepted money as a Khalistani agent.”Virat Kohli, a prominent Indian player, defended Singh after the game by noting that “anyone can make a mistake.” On Twitter, the hashtag #IndiaWithArshdeep, which supports the young athlete, was trending.
Cricket players from the religious minorities in India, which has a Hindu majority, have experienced such assaults before.After India lost to Pakistan in the T20 World Cup last year, Muslim player Mohammed Shami came under attack.
