Updated April 29th, 2021 at 17:52 IST
'Outsiders' Gary Lineker, Piers Morgan irk Indian fans for demanding IPL 2021 cancellation
'Outsiders' Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan were condemned by Indian fans for demanding the cancellation of IPL 2021 amid the Covid-19 crisis.
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As the coronavirus pandemic in India continues to worsen, Indian fans are becoming increasingly worried about whether IPL 2021 will continue or not. According to reports, India recorded over 3.79 lakh cases in the past 24 hours. As a result, Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan have called for the cancellation of the marquee tournament. In response, fans slammed these 'outsiders' for indulging in Indian affairs.
Is IPL 2021 cancelled? Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan demand cancellation
The cricketing fraternity is increasingly divided on the issue of whether the IPL should be cancelled or not amid the rising coronavirus cases in India. Several former cricketers have urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to cancel the event and also ban all sporting activity until the Covid-19 situation in India improves. The increasing angst about the IPL has also prompted foreign journalists to voice their concerns about the IPL.
Gary Lineker, a former English footballer and current sports broadcaster, was shocked to see the IPL continue considering the number of people that were dying as a result of the Covid outbreak. Lineker wrote:
I love the @IPL as much as any cricket fan, but it seems so terribly wrong for it to continue given the Covid catastrophe that’s currently occurring in India. People are dying faster than runs are being scored for crying out loud.
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker)
While Lineker's response seemed more of a request to the Indian authorities to cancel the event, Morgan directly targetted India's leadership. Morgan held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for the increasing Covid woes and criticised his 'irresponsible leadership.' His tweet can be seen below.
The Indian Premier League should not continue given the horrific Covid crisis in India due to Prime Minister @narendramodi's woefully irresponsible leadership. The country's sole focus should be on the raging pandemic. Cricket is irrelevant. #IPL
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan)
Meanwhile, there is no update either by the BCCI or by the Indian government, suggesting that IPL 2021 will go ahead as planned.
Fans slam 'outsiders' Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan for demanding IPL 2021 cancellation
With fans having little to do while staying at home, several were extremely upset that outsiders would indulge in the affairs of their country and demand the cancellation of their favourite tournament. The IPL 2021 is a common distraction amongst fans and also encourages them to stay at home in these difficult times. John Etheridge, a sports correspondent, responded to Lineker as he wrote:
Tend to agree but one theory is cricket distracts people for 4 hours a day, encouraging them to stay indoors rather than catch or spread the virus. Also, on-screen messages tell viewers to wear masks, social distance and wash hands while TV comms urge people not to leave home.
— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket)
Similarly, another fan wrote:
Indian Premier League is actually helping millions of Indians to stay at home and watch the games from home. It’s being played behind the closed doors. All players and everyone involved are testing daily and it has not led to any infection rates hike. @IPL
— The Political Rants (@vinod_d007)
With Piers Morgan questioning India's leadership, Indian fans were unimpressed and gave an equally befitting response. One fan for example wrote:
Stay in your lane, Piers. We will fight our battles. When it comes to the crises we are there to support each other. It is easy to blame the PM when the entire country had developed a sense of complacency since the turn of the year.
— sriharsha joshyula (@sriharshaj)
I am sure you have your views but questioning his leadership is not right at this juncture. As an Indian; I take this as an offence!
— D Navaneeth Kumar (@navaneeth_9)
Mate... Your tweet is so so irresponsible and devoid of knowledge about things in India.
— Ricky Jana (@rickyjana)
IPL 2021 schedule
As per the IPL 2021 schedule, Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match 24 of the IPL 2021 on Thursday, April 29 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The MI vs RR match will commence live at 3:30 PM IST. Fans can watch MI vs RR live on the Star Sports Network.
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Published April 29th, 2021 at 16:06 IST