Mahender Singh Dhoni, who stands to lose his captaincy after the Indian team's poor performance at the World Twenty20, has found a steadfast supporter in Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan who says he is "appalled" at the way the cricketer is being targeted.
After the Indian team's early exit from the tournament, the team, particularly Dhoni, has been facing flak from authorities, public and the media. But Amitabh feels it is not right to target a sportsperson like this.
"I am appalled at the way M.S. Dhoni has been targeted. A week ago he was the apple of your eye and within seconds, in a show smacking of frivolity, you have through deliberate and unjustifiable cut, paste technology, made him into the creator of all that ails Indian cricket.
"This is most unjust and unfair. It is easy to sit behind closed air-conditioned doors and draw up plans on how cricket needs to be played. But get on to the pitch and feel the pain and agony and stress and pressures of a game before you draw conclusions," the 67-year-old posted on his blog.
The actor, who is a self-confessed cricket fan, admits he is also disappointed with the team's performance, but doesn't believe in killing their morale by constant criticism.
"We are all very disappointed with the outcome of the T20 championships, but don’t destroy the spirit of these magnificent athletes. From the early hours of the morning, the electronic (media) has only crucified the team and done nothing else. Don’t kill their morale for god’s sake,"' he said.
"If I was heading a channel, I would repeatedly keep showing in my broadcast, the glorious victory of the year when we won the World Championships, rather than dwell on our players in their weaker moments. Come on Dhoni! You can do it. I have faith in you and your wonderful band of brothers in the team. Regroup, regain and WIN," he added.
