Dravid’s Plea to Fans

Nation News-Barbados by EZRA STUART in Trinidad BURN OUR EFFIGIES, but don't harm our families. That's the plea from India's cricket captain Rahul Dravid to his cricket-crazy compatriots back home who riot and commit violent acts in anger almost everytime India lose a major international match. Speaking at a post-match media conference at the Queen's Park Oval here Monday after India rebounded from last Saturday's five-wicket loss to unfancied Bangladesh with a record-breaking 257-run victory over minnows Bermuda in a Group "B" World Cup match, Dravid said the players had grown accustomed to fans setting their images ablaze. Indian supporters took to the streets last weekend, burning effigies of Dravid and star batsman Sachin Tendulkar and even vandalising a house belonging to dynamic wicket-keeper/batsman Mahendra Dhoni, which is still under construction. "We should be used to it by now. They burn effigies pretty often. The only worrying thing is the safety of our families. Some of the players have young families and worry about their parents back home, but we are not concerned about our effigies being burned. "We don't mind being criticised or someone walking the street and saying things like you should be dropped. I don't lose sleep over that, but obviously you won't want anything untoward to happen to family and loved ones back home," Dravid said. India, losing finalists to Australia in the last World Cup in South Africa in 2003, play Sri Lanka in an important game tomorrow which they must win to avoid joining Pakistan in bowing out of the World Cup in the first round and Dravid acknowledges the team must play

to their true potential.

I wonder what may happen now as India is in a very teribble position

those kinda people will never listen no matter how much u plea to them 😡

i agree with him.....i mean cmon....is winning the game more important or their families????

as much as we all wud have loved them to go forward....itz styl not worth hurting any1..

and ppl do that are not true fans...they shud be put against a wall and shot from the back!!! i dont believe they call themselves fans...either of the cricketers or the sport... 😡

i was praying for india to win.....but now i will pray for the cricketers and their families well being!!!

i hear something happened to dhoni's house or something because he did very bad against bangladesh

Originally posted by: RonnieK

i hear something happened to dhoni's house or something because he did very bad against bangladesh

yup...his house which was styl under-construction was attacked....

i noe he was disappointing....and im really upset with him and sachin...but i pray nothing happens to any of the team members and their families back home

Originally posted by: srk_lover

i agree with him.....i mean cmon....is winning the game more important or their families????

as much as we all wud have loved them to go forward....itz styl not worth hurting any1..

and ppl do that are not true fans...they shud be put against a wall and shot from the back!!! i dont believe they call themselves fans...either of the cricketers or the sport... 😡

i was praying for india to win.....but now i will pray for the cricketers and their families well being!!!

very well said!!

ofcourse evry teams aim is to win..They try their best!!

i agree wid dravid... fans get over emotional sumtimes..... safety and the well being of ppl r more important than winning!

This is completely absurd. Those ppl have no right to attack their house or whatever. This kind of stuff is actully put way too much pressure on the Indian Team.

Originally posted by: Russell2k5

This is completely absurd. Those ppl have no right to attack their house or whatever. This kind of stuff is actully put way too much pressure on the Indian Team.

totally agree with you