BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia criticized Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed for her derogatory comments about Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma’s fitness and leadership during the Champions Trophy. He deemed it inappropriate for a public figure to make such remarks amid a crucial tournament, as it could negatively impact the team’s morale. Rohit and the Indian team have achieved success, reaching the semifinals against Australia after topping their group. Former cricketer Dilip Doshi defended Rohit, asserting that fitness should be judged based on on-field performance rather than appearance, emphasizing the distinction between gym fitness and cricket-specific fitness.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia criticized Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed on Monday for questioning Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s credentials as a leader and his fitness. He expressed that such remarks were particularly unfortunate during a critical phase of the national team’s Champions Trophy campaign. India has successfully advanced to the semifinals of the ICC event and will face Australia in Dubai on Tuesday, after defeating New Zealand to secure the top position in their group. “It is very unfortunate for a responsible individual to make such a trivial comment when the team is amidst a significant ICC tournament. Such remarks can have a demoralizing effect on both the individual and the team,” Saikia informed PTI.
“All players are performing at their highest potential, and the results reflect that. I hope individuals refrain from making such derogatory statements for the sake of personal publicity at the expense of National Interest,” he continued.
Shama stirred controversy on social media with a post aimed at the Indian captain.
Realizing her remarks were inappropriate, the Congress party requested Shama to remove the post from her ‘X’ account.
In her now-deleted message, Shama stated: “Rohit Sharma is overweight for a sportsman! He needs to lose weight! And of course, he is the most unimpressive captain India has ever had.”
Former Indian spinner Dilip Doshi expressed his discontent with the comments directed at Rohit.
“People can have their opinions, but voicing them publicly is far worse; it’s best to keep such opinions to oneself,” Doshi told PTI Videos.
“Rohit may not fit the mold of a traditional, athletic, young, modern cricketer, yet he plays with immense talent and is fit for his role. Is Rohit cricket-fit? Yes, he is,” stated Doshi, who played 33 Tests and 15 ODIs from 1979 to 1983.
“Many cricketers appear gym-fit but may not be suited for cricket. To me, a cricketer must be fundamentally cricket-fit rather than merely gym-fit. Gym fitness has led to numerous injuries that were less common in the past,” he added.
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