Praveen Kumar Hauls up Spectators After India Team Mates Face Heckling

Praveen Kumar only made his Test debut on India’s tour of the West Indies. However, the going has been rather rough early into his Test career and certainly the Indians fans in England are not helping the cause as the Indian fast bowler could not get his anger in control.

Praveen Kumar

Praveen Kumar may have a great deal more responsibility to handle after it was announced that Zaheer Khan was ruled out of the entire tour of England over a hamstring as well as ankle injury. However, provocation from the fans perhaps needs better handling because India are going to face a stiff time over the next two Tests beginning with the third Test at Edgbaston as England are leading the series 2-0 and are one win or two draws away from stealing the no.1 Test team title for their own.

India have not had it easy on this tour of England, with the injuries and missing personnel and the problems that have compounded with England playing as best as they have in recent times, barring their openers. While India have been facing the flak in the media and from former cricketers, the Indian cricket fans have not been far behind in venting their ire. But perhaps the Indian cricket team is getting a taste for it upfront from fans that have turned up in drones to watch the Indian cricket team in action.

When India landed in England as the no.1 Test team and winners of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, their profile has significantly gone down in light of their performances in the first two Tests, even shifting focus away from the otherwise hyped scenario of Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th 100. Instead fans of Indian cricket have had to sit through some spineless performances that have really hurt India’s image because in clichéd manner, it was not the defeat itself as much as the nature of the defeat that has really hurt the pride.

Praveen Kumar could not restrain himself in the face of some of the fans getting in the face of the Indian cricketers, Virat Kohli coming under some abuse as well, during India’s tour match against Northamptonshire. The Indian cricket team knows rather well how crowds react when their team does not do well. But given that the team is really stinging from the criticism and the pressure, there was bound to be a moment or two of heated moments. And it happened with Praveen Kumar as the Indian cricket team planned to leave for the hotel in their team bus.

Although there are conflicting reports with some saying Praveen Kumar charged at the irate fans with a cricket bat and others alluding to Praveen physically pulling up a fan by his collar, what matters is that an Indian cricketer lost his cool, incensed by the banter that the fans felt free to hurl at the team. However, given the sensitive state of matters, the fans should know better although model behavior will continue to be demanded of the Indian cricketers who are huge role models for the country and therefore, expected to act unbecoming of those in that stature.

Undoubtedly there will be several factors that will be assessed by the team management before they internally decide against taking any action against the bowler.