Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan extended his support to India fast bowler Mohammad Shami who faced a torrent of online abuse after his team’s humiliating defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Shami, the only Muslim player in India’s T20 World Cup 2021 squad, received hundreds of messages on his Instagram account where angry cricket fans called him a traitor, match-fixer and urged him to leave the team.

India's Mohammed Shami 'horribly abused' online after defeat to Pakistan

However, a number of current and former cricketers rallied behind the 31-year-old fast bowler, including Rizwan.

The right-handed batsman, who was one of the main contributors in Pakistan’s 10-wicket win over India, requested fans to respect and support their stars.

“The kind of pressure, struggles, and sacrifices a player has to go through for his country and his people is immeasurable. Shami is a star and indeed of the best bowlers in the world. Please respect your stars,” tweeted Rizwan.

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Rizwan stressed that the game should bring people together instead of creating a divide.

Before Rizwan, former Indian cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, and others also rallied behind the pacer who has been one of the best performers for India.

Shami has played 48 Tests, 79 ODIs, and 13 T20s for India, taking 195, 148, and 12 wickets, respectively.

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