Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir once again brought up the 2011 World Cup triumph debate once again, suggesting how certain players’ PR makes them heroes while others have to settle for the tag of being called ‘underdogs’. Gambhir cited the example of former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who was named the Player of the Tournament after India’s victorious campaign in 2011 World Cup. But, feels he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for his pivotal contribution to the team’s heroic campaign.
In a chat on ANI, Gambhir said that Yuvraj didn’t get the recognition he deserved as he didn’t have a good PR agency. The cricketer-turned-politician also fumed at ‘broadcasters’ for acting as PR agencies for players.
By the time India won, your innings was sort of overshadowed by Mahi’s innings.
“When people talk about knocks or underrated players, they are actually the ones who underappreciate, as no one is underrated,” he said.
“If today I have machinery and I have to pick two persons where I show one person for two hours and fifty minutes and the other person for 10 minutes only, then a person shown for 2 hours and 50 minutes will become a brand. Then don’t say that we do not get numbers when we show the other guy because the other guy is not a brand. When you did not show the other person, you did not value the other person. Unless you do not value the other person, he won’t value himself and how will the country value him. In this World Cup, one good thing happened and I am pleased about it that we became a bowling-obsessed nation from batting one. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj are getting appreciated for their hard work,”
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When given the example of Yuvraj Singh’s case, suggesting he didn’t get the recognition he deserved, Gambhir agreed.
He said: “You know it. You please tell me that one player Yuvraj Singh who was Man of the Tournament in 2011, how many people talk about him. Why? Probably he does not have a good PR agency. Probably this word ‘underrated’ is a very unfair word. It is actually under-shown, if you won’t show the people, then they won’t know and you keep showing one person, then he will become a brand,” Gautam Gambhir said in ‘ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash’.
“Broadcaster can never be a PR machinery. The broadcaster needs to be fair to everyone sitting in the dressing room. If I have a machinery today, using which I show one of two players for 2 hours and 50 minutes and the other player for only 10 minutes out of 3 hours, whichever player is shown the longest will become the brand.” Gambhir added.
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