Harmanpreet gives the right dose to Nasser Hussain on “schoolgirl error” comment after India lose to Australia in World Cup thriller
Had this been the old Indian team, they may have been meek, not reacted. Harmanpreet gave it back, the riposte was super.
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Harmanpreet Kaur; Nasser Hussain
Trust the British cricketers to shoot their mouth off, on air. The latest, involving the Women in Blue at the ICC T20 World Cup has snowballed into a major controversy with Nasser Hussain describing Harmanpreet Kaur‘s run-out dismissal as a “schoolgirl error.”
Nassser Hussain is a respected former England captain, less snooty than most other British former cricketers who now wield the mike or pen opinions. His columns in a well known British tabloid are usually crisp and punchy. It is no-holds barred.
However, this time, Nasser’s comments have been inappropriate. For all those who thought women’s cricket does not evoke the same passion, grab the same eyeballs, Thursday’s semi-final between India and Australia was highly viewed. Pre match hype had begun days before, obviously with the Aussies touted as favorites.
Yet, when Team India were going for the toss, there was a handicap of sorts with some players hit by URI (upper respiratory infection). Back to the run-out incident, Harmanpreet had crafted a beautiful innings off 52. Then came the run out, which sank a billion hearts at home in India.
To say that Harmanpreet was guilty and let India down would be a distasteful comment. One has to be careful while holding the mike and speaking on air. TV commentary is instant and what has been uttered cannot be deleted or corrected. Maybe, a sorry. But, no, this comment from Nasser Hussain and referring to 33-year-old Harmanpreet as if she lacks maturity has boomeranged. It has come flying back on the face of Nassser.
Harmanpreet Kaur gave it back, the riposte was super
It was brilliant to hear the captain speak after the match, which India lost by a tantalising five runs. To say it was a great chase would be putting it mild, and falling short by a close margin was no disgrace. Run-outs or misunderstanding between two batters are common in cricket. It can happen in school cricket, first-class cricket as well as international white ball cricket and Test cricket. This time, Harmanpreet clarified what had happened.
At the post-match interaction, Harmanpreet was hurt. “He [Nasser] said that? Okay. I don’t know, that’s his way of thinking but sometimes it happens. I have seen many times in cricket when batters are taking a single like that and the bat gets stuck there. Obviously, I will take it as we were unlucky today,” the Indian skipper said.
The way the incident has been reported has caught the imagination of cricket fans. Yes, Harmanpreet may have been guilty of not gliding her bat on the turf when completing the run and was out by a fair distance. She was angry, upset and walked back from the middle of the pitch in near tears.
“If my bat had not got stuck, I would have finished that run,'” said Harmanpreet. She also reflected and said had she been in the middle she would have finished the match in India’s favor. That’s the spirit, that’s the swagger from the Women in Blue. These days, when so much of cricket is played by men and women, Indians are not to be left behind. While commenting on air, it may be cocky to see nasty words which can sound great at that moment of time. Had this been the old Indian team, they may have been meek, not reacted. Harmanpreet gave it back, the riposte was super.
On social media, there is praise and love for the Indian women’s team. Nasser Hussain is now in the line of fire. He will need to show more sensitivity in future. After all, many years ago when a TV commentator called Hashim Amla a “terro…t” it snowballed into a major controversy. The commentator was sacked. British wit and humor is not always great! What say, Nasser Hussain?
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)