Memes to Fat-Shaming: Is Trolling Pak Captain Sarfaraz Justified?

Are fans justified in venting their disappointment by trolling Sarfaraz Ahmed?

Sarfaraz Ahmed’s infamous yawning snap

(Photo: Twitter/Altered By The Quint)

Cricket becomes more than just a sport when it is a India and Pakistan match.

And the World Cup is the perfect stage for both the countries to flex their muscles and test each other’s might – in a way that won’t become an actual geopolitical crisis.

With such high stakes, failing to perform anything less than the best would naturally earn you the ire of your fans. Such was the case with Pakistan’s recent loss to India in the ICC World Cup 2019 at Old Trafford, UK.

Fans felt betrayed by the Pakistan team’s poor performance in the match. And this particular candid shot of the captain Sarfaraz Ahmed yawning in the middle of the game only fanned the flame.

The meme-lords loved it!

Since then, a section of the Internet is floating with Sarfaraz’s yawning face.

Be careful if you have just paused to look for more of them now – there are some NSFW ones too.

Most of the criticism stemmed from the analysis that his (bad) decision to field after winning the toss cost Pakistan the match.

But after someone posted a photo of him posing outside the well known Archie’s outlet famous for its sugary ‘junk’ food, the focus shifted to his fitness.

It didn’t take long for fans to go from criticising his game strategy to criticising his physique.

And jokes turned from sarcastic to downright insulting.

Even former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar couldn’t hold back from lashing out at Sarfaraz, calling him ‘fat and unfit.’

Now, one may argue that when it comes to sports, commenting on a player’s fitness does not amount to body-shaming. There is nothing wrong in criticising a player whose ‘poor condition’ may have resulted in bad performance in a crucial match.

But here’s the thing: There is a fine line between critiquing someone’s performance and attacking them over how they look. And some passionate cricket lovers seem to have crossed it.

This cringe-worthy video is the latest in the violent trolling that Sarfaraz Ahmed has received since Pakistan lost to India.

And it is sad that very few cricket fans have looked past his ‘role in Pakistan's defeat to India,’ to call out the obvious body shaming he is facing.