Indian fans are the most immature: Atherton

[mister]

Indian supporters are the "most immature" lot in the world of cricket and they should grow up and accept defeat as an essential part of the game, said former England captain Mike Atherton. In an article in 'The Times', Atherton said Indian fans need to understand that the team they support would not win everything. "It is time for Indian cricket supporters to grow up and accept defeat as an essential part of the game. Sport is not about winning; it is about losing. Trust me, we in English cricket know more about that than anyone," he said. "They will lose in various ways - some thrillingly, some abjectly - but lose they will. It is what makes the moments of triumph all the more special. "After all, if winning was all about there was, what would there be to celebrate? Indian supporters, the most immature in cricket, cannot seem to grasp this simple fact," he said. After India crashed out of the Twenty20 World Cup, fans in India have reacted with unbridled anger, burning Mahendra Singh Dhoni's effigy and questioning his leadership. Observing how the Indian fans tend to go overboard with their reaction to both success and failure, Atherton said, "So where once temples were erected in Ranchi to deify its most famous son, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, now effigies are burnt. Once the Army had to be called out because the mob had laid homage to a hair salon where Dhoni was having his luxuriant locks lopped off, but veneration has now turned to vituperation. "Burning effigies of losing captains on the sub-continent is nothing new, as Wasim Akram and countless others would testify. It was, though, more understandable at a time when Indian cricket was looking to flex its muscles," he said. ATHERTON THE F**CKIN BAST*RD!

[nikred]

Feck you Atherton, the real fans of the Indian team can be found at www.indiancricketfans.com. Except for a few who whine we take defeat in our stride. :finger:

[Guest Gunner]

Too generalised a comment for my liking there by Athers but not altogether wrong.

[bharat297]

I have to say, to a great extent I do agree with him. Some, not all (but at least the ones that get shown by the media) go extremely overboard when our team doesnt do well. Remember the reaction after we lost the World Cup 2007? So called fans went out on to the street and burnt posters and effegies of Sachin, Sehwag, Ganguly, etc. If going out on to the street and burning effegies and vandalising people's homes is not immature, then what is it? I know its not all the fans. Its a minority yes, but unfortunately this minority give Indian fans a bad image. The problem with this minority is that it is usually people that don't have anything to do. Most people have jobs, college, school, families to look after, etc. A loss by a sporting team shouldnt drive a normal person to such actions.

[Sachinism]

"It is time for Indian cricket supporters to grow up and accept defeat as an essential part of the game. Sport is not about winning; it is about losing. Trust me, we in English cricket know more about that than anyone," he said.

Amazing attitude. I agree with Atherton to an extent, some of our fans are terrible, they boo over anything. I was disappointed by the fact at how often the opposition got booed by Indian fans. Especially the England boys, these are the people who turned up to India to play cricket after 26/11. For what reason were they being booed? And the way Dhoni was booed was pathetic, yeh he has done pretty poorly this world cup, but lets not forgot all the other wins before that. Indian fans do really expect too much, the way we lost was poor, but it happens, you can't win everything, people need to learn that.

[CricketGirl]

Feck you Atherton' date=' the real fans of the Indian team can be found at [url']www.indiancricketfans.com. Except for a few who whine we take defeat in our stride. :finger:

Could not have said it better!! That is so pathetic coming from Atherton does he realise how stupid he sounds? someone might wanna remind him where football hooliganism started too!! atleast we're not throwing bottles and crap at the opposition We indian fans are passionate about Cricket we have hight hopes for our team simply because we know they are the best!!:two_thumbs_up: defeat will only bring us back better and stronger so bring it on!! :icflove::icflove::icflove: PS ICF has the best indian cricket fans in the world! :dancing:

[cowboysfan]

i sort of agree with him -those who were watching at the ground were not good advertisements for indian fans.burning effigies is really silly.also booing the home country in thier ground is a no-no.if this was done in the US everybody would be beaten up.

[Guest Gunner]

Don't you think booing the home team at Lord's was an act of utter immaturity?

[CricketGirl]

^^^^ is it fair to say his comments are based on the amount of BS is the media?? his judgement of a handfull of idiots is not enough for him to justify such comments about ALL india fans!!

[Anakin]

Remind me again, which country's fans are often banned from international tournaments, not talking about cricket.

[CricketGirl]

Don't you think booing the home team at Lord's was an act of utter immaturity?

its only been highlighted because 70% of the fans were indian so it had become more apparent at the india pak warm up the fans were 50 50 there was just as much booing and hissing on both sides plus alot of fans that turn up to these matches, their behaviour is common to what we see in footy!! i think Sachin mentioned that too in his account of that day!

[Guest Gunner]

^^^^ is it fair to say his comments are based on the amount of BS is the media?? his judgement of a handfull of idiots is not enough for him to justify such comments about ALL india fans!!

I have already pointed out that the comment was too general for my liking in the first post. There are much more than a handful of idiots, the educated fans are actually a handul in India.

[Sachinism]

its only been highlighted because 70% of the fans were indian so it had become more apparent at the india pak warm up the fans were 50 50 there was just as much booing and hissing on both sides plus alot of fans that turn up to these matches, their behaviour is common to what we see in footy!! i think Sachin mentioned that too in his account of that day!

There was no way 50-50, I guarantee you, Indian fans outnumbered Pakistani fans by a big margin

[Guest Gunner]

Remind me again' date=' which country's fans are often banned from international tournaments, not talking about cricket.[/quote'] Athers is not talking abt football here.

[Anakin]

Athers is not talking abt football here.

I know, the point is they follow football as we do cricket, so let's compare.

[CricketGirl]

There was no way 50-50' date=' I guarantee you, Indian fans outnumbered Pakistani fans by a big margin[/quote'] i was at that match atleast where i was sitting and around it seemed like a fair 50 50 split but ok i trust ur judgement :)

[Guest Gunner]

its only been highlighted because 70% of the fans were indian so it had become more apparent at the india pak warm up the fans were 50 50 there was just as much booing and hissing on both sides plus alot of fans that turn up to these matches, their behaviour is common to what we see in footy!! i think Sachin mentioned that too in his account of that day!

Booing the opposition and booing the home team at Lord's when you are holding a british passport are different. What the (British Indian) crowd did reeks. If you have a british passport you are british, period.

[CricketGirl]

I know' date=' the point is they follow football as we do cricket, so let's compare.[/quote'] In all fairness its about fan behaviour so yes lets compare!!

[DomainK]

Indian fans are quite immature. Not sure whether most or not.

[cowboysfan]

Booing the opposition and booing the home team at Lord's when you are holding a british passport are different. What the (British Indian) crowd did reeks. If you have a british passport you are british' date=' period.[/quote'] haha-i think the desis and pakis in england will disagree.nobody will support the english team over there.