Unfiltered online criticism is becoming a serious threat to cricketers’ mental health
Fans remain central to the PSL experience, but the line between support and criticism grows increasingly blurred online. Photo: PCB/FILE
KARACHI:
“Brother, what can I tell you? Whenever I look at Twitter and Facebook, I feel like I have achieved nothing in cricket,that I am the worst player in the world. People say such terrible things about me that my blood starts to boil. If I hand over my password to an agent, there’s always the fear of something going wrong like what happened with Naseem Shah. In such a situation, I’ve decided to stop using social media altogether. I just can’t handle it anymore,it’s affecting my performance.”
A cricketer said these words to me some time ago. This isn’t an isolated case,there are many more examples. I am friends with several important figures connected to cricket, and they share similar experiences.
Social media holds immense power. Someone sitting in a small town can ruin your mood with a single post. In today’s era, it’s nearly impossible to completely stay away from these apps, but self-control is essential.
I, too, used to stay away from social media. But when Najam Sethi became chairman, journalists began to be judged by their follower counts. I understood this shift and worked accordingly, though it does affect you.
A few years ago, a colleague received a harsh comment on Twitter and responded with extreme abuse. Later, I explained to him that provoking him was exactly the commenter’s goal. That person was unknown, while he himself was recognized. He understood and deleted the tweet.
Players and officials often react angrily to negative comments. I know several individuals who deleted social media apps from their phones during the PSL. The problem is, even if you do that, friends send screenshots saying, “Look what someone said about you.”
Once, a journalist launched a personal attack against me on social media. As usual, I ignored it. When friends sent me screenshots, my response was: “If it bothers you, you can reply,I don’t.” I leave it to God. I firmly believe that those who do wrong will eventually face consequences.
Without naming names, I know that several current cricketers’ careers are being damaged by social media. Reading negative comments makes them lose confidence in their abilities. This harms not just them but also the Pakistan team.
Recently, English county team Kent disabled the comments section on all their social media accounts. The coach said negative remarks could affect players’ mental health.
Another issue is that you don’t even know whether a comment is from a real or fake account. Ever since Twitter (now X) allowed people to buy blue ticks for a monthly fee, even unknown individuals have them,people who might not be recognized even in their own neighborhoods. Previously, blue ticks were reserved for notable personalities. Now, even fake accounts of famous names carry them.
If you dig deeper, you often discover that these accounts aren’t genuine. There is also a flood of negative comments coming from India under fake identities aimed at harming Pakistan cricket.
Twitter has the most toxic environment. Some players’ agents also use fake accounts to elevate their own stars while putting down rivals. The negativity has reached a level where it inevitably affects you.
A time may come when cricketers regularly consult psychologists because of social media,or perhaps that has already begun.
In the past, those who tried to gain stardom through social media alone are now struggling. If instead of chasing followers they had focused on scoring runs or taking wickets, they wouldn’t now need TV appearances just to stay relevant.
Remember: Twitter or Facebook cannot make you a star. It’s your work that earns you fame. If you perform well, people will praise you,but if your performance is poor, even a million followers won’t defend you.
The PCB should also take steps in this regard. Players’ mental health is important. Fans should also understand that players are not their servants. Criticize if you must, but remain respectful. Don’t drag their families into it.
If you haven’t achieved anything in your own life, don’t take out your frustration on others.
There are so many “Bradmans of social media” who don’t even know the basics of cricket, yet they comment on players’ performances as if Brian Lara himself once came to them for coaching. Someone who only plays cricket with a child on a rooftop acts like an expert analyst.
This issue isn’t limited to the general public,even former cricketers have become part of it. Some are jealous of current stars who have surpassed them. Some turn personal slights into ego battles. Others are upset because a franchise didn’t hire them. Some chase YouTube views for money.
Criticism should be constructive,point out mistakes and suggest how to fix them. There should be a clear difference between former cricketers and trolls.
This problem is growing rapidly. For now, only Kent County has taken visible action, but in the future, others may be forced to follow.
