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Blame it on the wives! Did your husband bowl a wide? Did he drop a sitter? Did he get run out? It's your fault!
Recently, Hasan Ali and his wife were brutally trolled on social media for Pakistan’s loss in the semi-finals of World Cup T-20. And this is not the first time that wives of male athletes have been subjected to such trolling. Sania Mirza was viciously attacked after husband Shoaib’s poor performance, especially against India. And how many times has Anushka Sharma been blamed for Virat Kohli’s loss?
A few days ago, in the World Cup T-20 semi-final match between Australia and Pakistan, the men in yellow came back from the brink to defeat the latter. In a way, luck played a factor as Hasan Ali dropped a crucial catch, and the next successive balls saw a hat-trick of sixes from Mathew Wade. Expectedly, Hasan Ali and his Indian wife became the subject of memes and was exposed to brutal trolling.
While sipping our morning tea, my husband mentioned that Hasan Ali is married to an Indian. Curiosity made me google her. And then, I saw some pretty nasty comments on Hasan’s Insta account, most of them pertaining to his being a Shia and having a ‘Hindustani Biwi’. I have very little knowledge of Islam, though I know it’s unfair to bring up his faith. I will concentrate on the latter.
Like Indians, Pakistanis too are emotional when it comes to cricket. Both sides can be equally mean when it comes to taking a jab at their perceived rivals. The cringe-worthy ‘mauqa’ ad is an example. Don’t get me wrong. I am an ardent supporter of our men in blue, and I too was delighted at the loss of our neighbours few days ago.
But I am digressing. This post is not directed towards sportsmanship or the technicalities of cricket. Let me leave that to the experts.
Sania Mirza had been subjected to vicious attacks after her husband Shoaib’s poor performance, especially against India. And the least said about Anushka Sharma, the better? How many times has she been blamed for Virat Kohli’s losses? I have lost count of them.
Blame it on the women! Did your husband bowl a wide? Did he drop a sitter? Did he get run out? It’s your fault.
I am not saying patriarchy is rampant only in the subcontinent. No! No way! However, I am yet to see a post bashing Danielle for AB de Villier’s bad performances. How about the reverse? Our women players are now making a name for themselves in the international arena, despite the obstacles and fewer sponsorships. They have had their bad days too. Just like other sports. Have the menfolk been blamed yet? I am still searching for that article. Chances are, it doesn’t exist.
These comments actually put men in a bad light. They must be so immature and so ‘shamelessly henpecked’, that they lost an international match to please their wives!
Ladies! Especially the wives & girlfriends of celebrity athletes! Take a bow… You do not deserve to put up with all this!
Image source: @mirzasaniar, @ha55an_ali, @anushkasharma (Instagram)
I am a boring IT professional, lost in the monotonous world of Excel. So, I seek refuge in Word, pun intended. And.. I am a crazy cat person, a badge I proudly flaunt. read more...
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She would serve everyone fresh food and serve herself the stale rice and curries from the previous meal. Some days after finishing the leftovers she was so full she would not even be able to even taste the fresh food.
When I married the first time, my MIL told me that during the Navratri the lady of the house should not eat stale food. ‘Gharatlya bai ni shila khau naye’ — in refined upper caste Marathi.
I was just 26, eager to please, not versed in patriarchy or feminism, and it seemed like a positive thing — respect for the goddess in woman.
But soon I realised she spent the remaining 356 days of her year finishing leftovers. And that I was expected to do the same.
We say that we live in modern times and talk on subjects like feminism, supporting your loved ones, encouraging them to follow their dreams. But how many of us can really say that they actually do that?
We live in a world where there comes times in everyone’s life when one has to make choices which will leave a long term impact in not just their life but on the lives of those attached to them.
Giving the ones you claim to love the freedom and space to make their own choices and the wings to fly is not only the right thing to do but sometimes its also the thing they need the most; without having to face the ‘guilt’ of living the life they want.