Being a cricket fan in India is not easy, but when you’re a reputed figure in an IPL franchise, it’s even tougher. Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa great, found it the hard way when a message posted by him on X rubbed the audience the wrong way. Rhodes landed in hot soup for writing an unexpected reply to a Lucknow Super Giants fan, in pursuit of a signed jersey. After requesting it for 10 straight days, Rhodes, the fielding coach of LSG, broke silence but not in the way the fans expected it.
“Brother, get a life. Many thanks for the support, we appreciate it. But wow, come on…” Rhodes replied to the post by the fan.
The original message posted by the fan is now deleted, although he did go on a rant to create quite the fuss about Rhodes’ reply. While many came to the fielding great’s support, it comprised a very limited chunk. Rhodes’ reply was labelled as ‘shameful’, ‘insensitive’ and many other tags and users came out in numbers to condemn his reply.
The fan himself went on posting a barrage of replies explaining his stance. As Rhodes’ response became viral, the fan was flooded with questions regarding details.
Fan explains his perspective
“Did this just as a fan. A lot of people do it. Didn’t expect this kind of reply. I asked for a signed jersey from LSG for 10 days straight. Just asked for it as a fan; there was no need to be this rude man. If you don’t wanna give, don’t, I am not dying for it. And try and learn how to speak to fans and if you can’t at least don’t insult! Never expected such language from you @JontyRhodes8,” he wrote across several posts.
“He could have just replied normally. I tweeted as a fan and I didn’t abuse or spread hatred anywhere. If I can’t tweet for my favourite team to reply to me, and the team’s coach feels cheering for them is being jobless then I have lost all the respect for him. Won’t cheer for LSG anymore.”
On Tuesday, LSG shared a clip of the players undergoing training, with Rhodes in attendance. The video captured Jonty giving Yash Thakur a tip or two. Jonty used the ‘dance moves’ technique, which requires the body to move in different directions as the fielder anticipates to catch the ball. After demonstrating it himself, Thakur picked up the nuances and did rather well.
