Former New Zealand cricketer and the current highly renowned commentator Simon Doull landed in hot water for his on-air comments in the Indian Premier League 2022. During Rajasthan Royals’ recent clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he said Riyan Parag is a social media star, but it doesn’t count on the field.
A fan on Twitter called Doull out for his statements, and in response, the commentator clarified the comments did not come out as intended.
“Simon Doull on-air questioning RR’s decision to play Riyan Parag who has a modest record. I think that is a fair opinion.
But then he concludes by saying that I know Riyan is a social media star but that doesn’t count in a match. Why would any commentator say that on national TV?,”
Twitter user Akash Kumar Jha (@Akashkumarjha14) wrote.
Parag has been a part of the Rajasthan Royals since 2019 but has struggled for consistent performances, playing a good knock only once in a while. With nearly 320,00 subscribers on Instagram, he is an active user on social media and is popular among fans.
But the 20-year-old has received a lot of criticism over the years for his persona. For a commentator to fuel it further on-air makes things worse and deserves to be called out.
Doull responded by saying the user and the fans seem to have missed his point. He reiterated that a batter’s currency is his runs and strike rate, and not social media likes.
“I think you missed the point. The social media says to me he is popular and well liked but that doesn’t count when he is in the middle.. Runs and strike rate is his currency and IMO it’s not good enough. Maybe it’s lost in translation a little sorry.. 🙏🏽 Enjoy the game.”
The Rajasthan franchise continues to believe in the youngster’s potential. In Febuary, they re-signed for a healthy price of INR 3.8 Crore.
