Mitchell Marsh breaks silence over controversial ‘feet on World Cup trophy’ gesture after World Cup Triumph
Australia secured their sixth ODI World Cup title last month with a resounding victory over India at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. The one-sided final saw Australia limit India to 240 runs before successfully chasing down the target with seven overs to spare. Travis Head played a pivotal role in the win, scoring a spectacular 137 off 120 deliveries, rescuing Australia from a precarious position at 45/3 alongside Marnus Labuschagne (55*).
Despite the triumphant moment, a post-match picture sparked controversy on social media as it depicted Australian cricketer Mitchell Marsh resting his feet on top of the World Cup trophy. Many Indian fans found this gesture disrespectful, with even Mohammed Shami, the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 24 wickets in 7 games, expressing feeling “hurt” by Marsh’s actions during the celebration.
Mitchell Marsh breaks silence over controversial ‘feet on World Cup trophy’ gesture
After over two weeks of public scrutiny, Marsh has finally addressed the issue in an interview with Australia’s SEN. He clarified that there was no intent of disrespect in the photo and mentioned not dwelling much on the social media reactions.
“There was obviously no disrespect meant in that photo at all. I haven’t given it too much thought, I haven’t seen a lot on social media even though everyone tells me it’s gone off. There’s nothing in that,” Marsh was quoted as saying.
However, the controversy escalated when a leader of an activist group in Uttar Pradesh filed a police complaint against Marsh for the gesture. Pandit Keshav Dev, the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Sena president, complained to the Delhi Gate Police Station in Aligarh. The Superintendent of Police (City) Mrigank Shekhar stated that a case had not been registered yet, and further proceedings would depend on the cyber cell’s report.
Marsh was rested for Australia’s subsequent T20I series against India after the World Cup victory. Several other members of the World Cup-winning team, including Steve Smith, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, and Adam Zampa, chose to stay back to participate in the series.
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