'Spineless wonder': Sachin slammed for backing Modi govt

Rahul M
·4 min read

When an array of former and current cricketers took to Twitter to voice their support for the Indian government against the propaganda and interference by external forces in India’s internal affairs, they received overwhelming response from people praising them.

(Photo credit should read ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo credit should read ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty Images)

The cricketers’ tweets followed the online posts by celebrities such Rihanna, Mia Khalifa and Greta Thunberg who showed solidarity with a section of the farmers protesting against the farm laws in India.

And even as these cricketers slammed exaggerations and untruths and stood by India’s honour, there was a section of people who were displeased by our cricketing icons for having backed the government.

They were especially severe on former Indian skipper and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

Many netizens labelled him a 'spineless wonder' who is ‘simply parroting the government line instead of speaking up for the farmers’. Some of them went to the extent of discrediting his cricketing credentials as well and called him a 'selfish' batsman who only played for himself not for the team.

A tongue-in-cheek tweet went particularly viral which read: "Rahul Dravid was right when he declared that day." The reference was to the Multan Test 2004 against Pakistan when Dravid had declared India's innings with Sachin stranded on 194 not-out, depriving him of a possible double century.

Some folks slammed Tendulkar for keeping mum on issues such as match-fixing in 1990s and never standing up for 'weak' and 'underprivileged' people.

For the record, Sachin Tendulkar, has been awarded the Bharat Ratna, is one of the greatest batsmen ever to have played cricket and is a true ambassador of the game.

However, since he has the spine not to toe the line of some of the naysayers, who advocate international interference into Indian internal affairs, insults have been heaped on him.

ALSO READ:

Greta Thunberg's deleted 'toolkit' points towards plot to defame India

Iron nails, barbed wires turn farmer protest sites into fortresses

The real reason behind the Republic Day violence in Delhi

PHOTOS: How some farmers shamed India on Republic Day

Budget 2021-22: What costs more, what costs less

Highlights of the Union Budget 2021-22: What’s in it for you

Latest Stories

  • Former NHL star Todd Bertuzzi arrested for drunk driving in Michigan

    Former NHL star Todd Bertuzzi was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Auburn Hills, Michigan last weekend.

  • Canucks ride monster first period to win over Jets

    The Canucks grabbed a big early lead and Thatcher Demko did the rest as Vancouver cruised to a shutout win over the Jets.

  • Hawks fire Lloyd Pierce, name Nate McMillan as interim head coach

    The Hawks reportedly hope that assistant coach and Pierce ally Nate McMillan will take on the interim role.

  • Kyle Lowry's Toronto home has been conditionally sold

    Although it could mean nothing, this may be the first sign that Kyle Lowry's tenure with the Raptors is coming to an end.

  • Blue Jays pitchers hold Pirates to 3 hits in Dunedin opener

    Six Toronto pitchers combined to give up three hits in a seven-inning pre-season game as the Blue Jays tied the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-2 on Monday.

  • Champion of China's top soccer league to 'cease operations' just months after winning title

    As of now, defending Chinese Super League champion Jiangsu FC no longer exists.

  • Sabres staring down the reality of having to start over

    The Buffalo Sabres intended on competing, but what's become abundantly clear in another failed season is that the team has to start over from scratch.

  • NFL betting: Does the Cardinals' addition of J.J. Watt make them a contender?

    J.J. Watt is a splash addition. But how much will he help Arizona?

  • The biggest questions facing the Raptors in the second half of the season

    There's going to be no shortage of drama for the Raptors in the second half of the season.

  • It was only a matter of time for Claude Julien

    Poor performance and a lack of success to lean on, Claude Julien's dismissal was no surprise. But the timing might have been.

  • All-ACC cornerback Derion Kendrick no longer with Clemson football team

    Clemson will no longer bring back its entire starting defense in 2021.

  • Changed the Game: Wyomia Tyus made Olympic history in 1968 and no one cared

    'At the time, they were not about to bathe a Black woman in glory.'

  • Lazio to appear for Serie A kickoff while Torino isolating

    ROME — More farcical scenes in Serie A are expected on Tuesday if Lazio walks out onto the Stadio Olimpico pitch even though its Torino opponents are remaining in Turin. A coronavirus outbreak forced Torino players and staff into self-isolation that doesn't end until midnight Tuesday, hours after the scheduled kickoff against Lazio in Rome. But Serie A’s governing body has yet to postpone the Lazio-Torino match. Torino's match against Sassuolo last Friday was postponed until March 17, and that decision was announced the day before the match. That means there could be a repeat on Tuesday of the farcical scenes around the Juventus-Napoli match when the Biaconeri followed their regular matchday routine and went out onto the field despite knowing their opponent had not left Naples. Napoli was handed a 3-0 loss by the Italian league and docked one point but eventually had that overturned on appeal by the Italian Olympic Committee — after several failed attempts in other courts — and the match will be rescheduled. Eight Torino players and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press

  • Arminia Bielefeld hires Kramer as coach in relegation fight

    BIELEFELD, Germany — Relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld hired Frank Kramer as coach on Tuesday, a day after firing Uwe Neuhaus. Kramer has only limited experience in the Bundesliga after a two-game spell as interim coach at Hoffenheim in 2012 and relegation with Greuther Fürth a year later. In more recent years, he coached age-group German national teams up to the under-20 level and coached Austrian champion Salzburg's youth team. Bielefeld, which was promoted last year, is in third-to-last place in the 18-team league. Hertha Berlin is just ahead on goal difference, and improving Mainz is only one point behind in a direct relegation place. Bielefeld still has a game in hand, however. Its next game is against Union Berlin on Sunday. Bielefeld earned only one point from its last five games — a 3-3 draw at Bayern Munich — and the 3-0 loss at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday was the fifth in a row in which the team conceded at least three goals. The 61-year-old Neuhaus was immensely popular with Bielefeld’s fans after leading the team to a surprise promotion following 11 years out of the Bundesliga. He had been in charge of the club since December 2018. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press

  • Shaq Attack: O'Neal ready to rumble in tag match for AEW

    Hack-a-Shaq is coming to All Elite Wrestling. Shaquille O'Neal may again absorb some intentional hits in his tag team match this week. The 7-foot-1 basketball Hall of Famer gets his chance to dish out retribution — maybe a slam, a side headlock or a clothesline — when he steps into the ring for his first match with AEW. “Oh, I’m winning,” O'Neal said. “Guaranteed.” O’Neal says he’s a lifelong wrestling fan and ripped off a list of favourite wrestlers from Tony Atlas and Junkyard Dog to Andre the Giant and Brock Lesnar. Big guys. Tough guys. Like Shaq. O’Neal is set to perform in his first competitive match when he teams in All Elite Wrestling with Jade Cargill in a mixed tag to take on Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday’s episode of “Dynamite.” The seeds for a feud were set up last November when Cargill appeared on “Dynamite” and trash-talked Rhodes that O’Neal was the real giant-killer of pro wrestling. O’Neal responded on “Inside the NBA” and told Rhodes to name the place. “I’m the type, I can never back down from a challenge,” O’Neal told The Associated Press. “I’m not a professional wrestler, but I’ve been in a match before. I’ve got a lot of moves in my arsenal. When you step inside somebody’s world, you have to stick to what you’re masterful at. I’m not acrobatic. I’m not going to be jumping off the ropes. I’m coming with the power game. When I get hands on him, I’m going to display this power.” O’Neal visited the wrestling-training facility Nightmare Factory in the Norcross, Georgia, but has otherwise limited professional wrestling training. “I’m the type that if I have a look and see you do it, I got it,” O’Neal said. O'Neal was crushed as a teenager when Hulk Hogan slammed and defeated Andre the Giant in the main event of WrestleMania III. Once he became an NBA star, Shaq Diesel — a nickname made for pro wrestling —- eventually had a word with the Hulkster. “I told him, ‘you broke my heart when you body-slammed Andre the Giant,’” O’Neal said. “I cried as a kid. I really did.” All was — mostly — forgiven seven years later in 1994 when Hogan beat Ric Flair at Bash at the Beach and celebrated with O’Neal. O’Neal has been as well travelled inside the squared circle as some of his favourite stars. He stood side-by-very-large-side with Hogan in both World Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling, and even competed in the Andre the Giant battle royal at WrestleMania in 2016. O’Neal, who boxed Shane Mosley in 2010, stared down the 7-foot Big Show in WWE's battle royal before they teamed up to double choke-slam Kane. The remaining wrestlers conspired to toss O’Neal over the ropes and eliminate him from the match. “I wanted to get my hands on the Big Show,” O’Neal said. O’Neal might get his chance after Show left WWE after a 20-plus year stint there and is set to make his AEW debut on Wednesday. What a coincidence! The 48-year-old O’Neal, who won four NBA titles over his Hall of Fame career, is the latest in a long line of active and retired athletes who wrestled in attraction matches. Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone wrestled for WCW in the 1990s, Lawrence Taylor wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania XI, and Mike Tyson has made appearances for WWE and AEW. “This one will top them all,” O’Neal said. ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Dan Gelston, The Associated Press

  • Analysis: NBA All-Star break could lead to testing pratfalls

    MIAMI — The NBA should be worried about this weekend, and that has nothing to do with holding an All-Star Game during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It’s about when players won’t be in Atlanta. If everyone plays by the rules at the All-Star Game, the system the NBA has come up with there for health and safety during the pandemic — strict testing for players and their guests, only flying private, staying in closed-off hotels, holding no outside events — should and probably will work. That won’t be the issue. “We know how to operate a bubble,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. The bigger issue is what’s going to happen outside of that All-Star bubble, and the 450 or so players who won’t be going to Atlanta during their time off. Brace for positive COVID-19 tests. Maybe a lot of them. Players, for the first time since teams began revving up for training camps in November, are going to be free to do pretty much whatever they want, provided they have no plans to travel internationally. Dozens are expected to come to Miami for a few days of sun and fun; given the climate in the rest of the country, it’s doubtful they’ll even notice that a cold front is forecast to come through South Florida and knock high temperatures all the way down to the mid-70s this weekend. Others are planning to go to Las Vegas, or hop on yachts, or go back to their off-season homes. All players and coaches except any who may already be vaccinated — Gregg Popovich is in a very exclusive club there — still must test daily during the break, and that will be a challenge. Players who stay at home or travel to another NBA city will have to go to that team’s facility or another site set up in those cities for testing each day. Players within a 45-minute drive of testing sites will have to make that commute each day as well. Otherwise, players and coaches will be given at-home self-collection test kits by the teams and must find ways to overnight them to labs. Somebody missing a test will lead to problems. Going out to clubs, or even dining indoors at a restaurant, will lead to problems. Inadvertently being exposed to someone who has COVID-19 could, obviously, lead to problems. It could even mean that players might end up missing some games when the second half of the season starts next week. “There’s nothing that’s risk-free,” Silver said. He’s right, though the rules that teams have operated under this season — while not necessarily fun — have seemed to minimize risk. Players are being tested twice a day. There are limits on where they can go when at home; clubs, gyms, restaurants, shared rides and things of that nature are either flatly banned or seriously frowned upon. On the road, their time outside the hotels is extremely limited, with the obvious exceptions for games and workouts. “I think it goes without saying that there’s been enough things that have happened so far in this first half of the season to have caused everybody to be on ultra-alert and continue to be even more vigilant on all the protocols,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. Teams can only hope that’s the case. A player who tests positive typically has been sidelined for about three weeks. That could mean someone who tests positive during the break could miss 10 games or so when play resumes. The last time players were tested without being under some semblance of league or team rules was the week before camps opened last fall, and 48 players were positive for COVID-19 at that time. That’s roughly the same number that have tested positive in the three-plus months since. The league was prepared for a lot of positives going into camp, and a rise in positive tests after things like Christmas and New Year’s gatherings. Sure enough, that’s the way it worked out. But even with some positive tests, most of the season has been played so far as scheduled, even though only three teams have gone without having at least one game called off for virus-related reasons. The system can work. This weekend, it’ll be up to the players to ensure it does. ___ Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at treynolds(at)ap.org ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press

  • Michael Hutchinson earns 31-save shutout, Maple Leafs blank Oilers 3-0

    EDMONTON — For the second game in a row, the Toronto Maple Leafs found ways to shutdown two of the NHL's top scorers on Monday. And once again, they accomplished the feat without some of their top talent. With marquee centre Auston Matthews and starting goalie Frederik Andersen both out of the lineup with injuries, the Leafs (14-9-0) blanked the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 Monday. The entire Leafs roster has stepped up as the team deals with a wave of injuries, coach Sheldon Keefe said after the win. "That’s been really healthy for us to see," he said. "Obviously we want to get our people back here, obviously we’re a stronger group when we’re healthy. But it’s a very good sign that you can still get a win, especially here on the road against a very good team.” Morgan Rielly and William Nylander had a goal and an assist apiece Monday, while Zach Hyman also scored for the NHL's top team. Goalie Michael Hutchinson was key to the victory, stopping 31 shots for his sixth career shutout. When the Leafs had breakdowns, Hutchinson was there to bail them out, Keefe said. “It just felt like one of those nights, the way he was moving in the net and the saves he was making, it at least gave me on the bench the confidence that they were going to have to do a lot to score one tonight," he said. "He was terrific. It was fun to watch him out there.” Hutchinson was on the bench Saturday when Jack Campbell backstopped the Leafs to a 4-0 victory over the Oilers. “It was a lot of fun watching (Campbell) get the shutout last game, coming off an injury like he did," he said. "And for myself, I thought the guys battled great in front of me all night tonight and made my job as easy as possible.” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said his team's offence was better on Monday than it had been on the weekend, despite the final score. "We couldn’t find a way to crack them for that first one and get rolling and get that confidence back," he said. "But I mean, we’ve got to stay confident. We were rolling before this, it’s a bit of a blip on the radar. It happens.” Edmonton had issues at both ends of the ice Monday. Toronto scored on its first shot of the game when Rielly put a pass on Hyman's tape and the forward sent a nifty backhanded shot past Mikko Koskinen to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, Nylander collected the puck off a faceoff and streaked deep into the Edmonton zone. He sailed a backhander over Koskinen's glove and into the top-left corner of the net. A power-play strike rounded out the first-period scoring after Edmonton's Adam Larsson was called for hooking. Rielly uncorked a blast from near the blue line and, while Koskinen got a piece of it, he couldn't control the puck and it dribbled through his legs and over the goal line, giving Toronto a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Koskinen allowed three goals on 10 shots before being replaced by Mike Smith to start the second period. Smith had 13 saves in relief. The Oilers (14-10-0) don't have "a lot of juice" right now, said coach Dave Tippett. “We’re in a little rut," he said. "Teams get in a little bit of a rut. It seems like nothing you’re shooting’s going in the net. You know, point shots, deflections, you can usually find one or two of those in a few games. But they’re not going in for us right now.” Keeping Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — the league's No. 1 and No. 3 scorer, respectively — from finding the back of the net is no easy feat. The key to stopping Edmonton's offence on Monday was not giving their top players time and space, and limiting odd-man rushes, Hutchinson said. Still, the 31-year-old netminder had to stop a speedy McDavid in the third to keep his shutout in tact. "You don’t have a lot of time to really think when (McDavid's) coming down," Hutchinson said. "You kind of just see that he has the opportunity to get a chance and from there, it’s all about just trying to react and hope that you’re able to make the save.” His performance Monday comes during Hutchinson's second stint in Toronto. The Leafs traded him to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline last year and he went on to stun many in the playoffs, posting a .910 save percentage over four games. He rejoined the Leafs in free agency. Hutchinson's journey is a testament to his character, Hyman said. “I think it’s just about battling and it shows the type of person he is, to not give up and to fight through adversity," he said. "You don’t do that without having a strong mental game and just believing in yourself.” The Leafs and Oilers will wrap up a three-game series in Edmonton on Wednesday. NOTES: Keefe said Matthews is still "day-to-day" with a wrist injury. … Earlier on Monday, the Oilers claimed goalie Alex Stalock off waivers from the Minnesota Wild. … Toronto defenceman Jake Muzzin played in the 600th game of his NHL career. … The Leafs have never lost at Edmonton's Rogers Place during regulation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Mar. 1, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Karlsson's 1st goal of season helps Sharks beat Avs 6-2

    SAN JOSE, Calif. — Erik Karlsson scored for the first time this season during a four-goal third period that helped the San Jose Sharks roll past the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 on Monday night. Rudolfs Balcers broke a tie early in the third, John Leonard scored on a breakaway and Evander Kane added an empty-netter as the Sharks pulled away to beat the Avalanche for the first time in three tries this season. Timo Meier assisted on the first three goals in the third. Radim Simek and Kevin Labanc also scored for San Jose, and Martin Jones made 33 saves. Samuel Girard and Gabriel Landeskog scored for the Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer made 21 saves. The Sharks took their first lead with a strong push early in the third and never looked pack. Balcers got the puck in the offensive zone and sent a centring pass to a driving Meier. The puck bounced off Nazem Kadri’s stick before it could get to Meier and slipped past Grubauer for the tiebreaking goal. San Jose made that lead stand up and got a needed win on this seven-game homestand. The Sharks had allowed 13 goals in the first two games of their longest homestand of the season in losses to Minnesota and St. Louis. They blew four separate one-goal leads in the 7-6 loss to the Blues on Saturday night but were able to extend this one when Karlsson scored his first goal a few minutes later on the power play to make it 4-2. Leonard added his goal on a breakaway midway through the third to put the game away. MILESTONE GOAL Landeskog’s goal on the power play in the second period on a play started by Nathan MacKinnon was the 203rd of his career. That moved him past Peter Forsberg for third in Avalanche history. Landeskog has a ways to go to get to second place, which is held by Milan Hejduk (375 goals). Joe Sakic has the most with 391. TURN THE TABLES The second period has doomed the Sharks so often this season — they entered the game getting outscored by 15 goals in the middle frame. But after falling behind 2-0 on Landeskog’s goal, San Jose finished strong with two goals. Simek converted the first off a pass from Marc-Edouard Vlasic to become the first Sharks defenceman other than Brent Burns with a goal this season. Labanc tied it late in the period off a chance created by Kane, marking just the fifth time this season the Sharks had the edge in the second period. SHORT ON D The Avs were missing two defencemen, with Cale Makar having returned to Colorado with an upper-body injury that forced him to miss the second game at Arizona on Saturday and Bo Byram scratched from this game with an upper-body injury. UP NEXT The teams meet for the fourth time this season on Wednesday night in San Jose. ___ More AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Josh Dubow, The Associated Press

  • The Rush: JJ Watt signs with Arizona, puts Peloton rumors to rest

    When an alleged JJ Watt Peloton bio gave rise to rumors about where the 3-time DPOY would land, Watt himself had to take to social media to finally announce his new team. Plus, a Nike executive resigns after her son cashes in on sneaker flipping and Jared takes us through some athletes who actually should have stuck to sports.

  • Nike VP resigns after report on son's lucrative sneaker resale business

    Ann Hebert was linked to her son's high-stakes sneaker business that depends on inside information to gain an edge on competition.