The Cricket World Cup 2023 ended with Australia beating India by six wickets in the final to win a record-extending sixth title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. However, following the win, Australian cricket team all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has become a topic of major controversy. In a picture going viral on social media, Marsh can seen putting his feet on the World Cup trophy as the team celebrated their victory. The action was criticised heavily on social media with many users suggesting that Marsh disrespected the trophy and the game with this gesture. However, some users defended the cricketer and cited examples of footballers who have done this in other countries in the past.
The social media users pointed out that in many football leagues, putting one’s leg on the trophy is part of the celebrations and in none of those cases, any disrespect was shown towards the trophy.
Mitchell Marsh with the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/n2oViCDgna
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 20, 2023
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins said captaining Australia to World Cup title glory was the “pinnacle in cricket” after his side dashed the dreams of tournament hosts India with a six-wicket win.
The final was a personal triumph for Cummins, whose decision to field first was vindicated as India — the only previously unbeaten team at the tournament after a run of 10 straight wins — were held to a modest 240 all out.
No way ppl are ranting about this being disrespectful. Our culture is obviously different from theirs. Stop moral policing everywhere. This is what Indian players are subjected to on a daily basis when everything they do is scrutinized. Please give it a rest.#MitchellMarsh pic.twitter.com/0ZvgP5h4Ly
— 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 ®️ (@Kacharya17) November 20, 2023
“That’s huge, that’s the pinnacle in cricket, winning a World Cup, especially here in India, in front of a crowd like this,” he said.
It has been a personal and professional rollercoaster for Cummins in 2023.
A trophy represents hard work and talent, not religious insignia. What you see in these three photos is ‘The world at my feet’ winning mentality.
They ‘respect’ the trophy by giving their everything to win it. https://t.co/YfKREJb7Or pic.twitter.com/MAoVHNeb9y
— Advaid അദ്വൈത് (@Advaidism) November 20, 2023
In March, he returned home from a tour of India to be with his mother, Maria, before she died.
“I’ve obviously had a really big year. I know my family at home is watching, just got a message from dad saying he’s had a lot of 4:00 am wake-ups, not going to bed until 4:00 am, so he’s as pumped as anything.
No way people are crying for this
This is very normal outside of India
No one respects the trophy, they respect the gameplay
Marsh can do whatever he wants he had won it
Stop crying and prepare for another worldcup #INDvsAUSfinal#CWC23Final #Australia #MitchellMarsh pic.twitter.com/eQqGbrlYlN— SB 2029 (@bishnoisaheb29) November 20, 2023
“You sacrifice a lot to play for Australia and everyone in the team has and we’ve spent a lot of this year away but we do it for these moments.”
India star batsman Virat Kohli ended the match having set a new record for most runs — 765 — at a single World Cup.
But when fast bowler Cummins had Kohli playing on for 54 on Sunday, to leave India 148-4, a crowd of over 92,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium fell into stunned silence.
Before the match, Cummins — who finished the final with superb figures of 2-34 in 10 overs — had said there was no better feeling for an opposition player than quieting a partisan home crowd.
Cummins, asked if dismissing Kohli was as sweet a moment as he had known in cricket, the 30-year-old replied: “I think so. We did take a second in the huddle just to acknowledge the silence that was going around the crowd.
“It just felt like it was one of those days where it was all made for him (Kohli) to score another hundred like he normally does — so that was satisfying.”
(With AFP inputs)
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