Mumbai Indians haven't started their campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on a good note. They have lost two matches so far in as many outings and things don't seem to be good for them. Moreover, their skipper Hardik Pandya has been at the receiving end of all the hate from the fans in the stadium as well. For the unversed, the fans are not pleased with the all-rounder for taking over Rohit Sharma's MI captaincy.
Meanwhile, Australia cricketer Steve Smith has given an advice to the all-rounder asking him to block all the outside noise. "I'd try and just say, to block it out, it's all irrelevant. No one outside knows what you are going through. No one [from outside] is in that change room," he said. Interestingly, Smith himself went through the ordeal during the sandpaper gate scandal as he was banned for an year by Cricket Australia. He was lablled as 'cheat' as well and waa booed in England on his comeback during the Ashes.
"Personally, for me, it doesn't bother me. I don't care. I don't pay any attention. You know it's all white noise, but certainly players do hear things and everyone's entitled to their own emotions and how they respond to those. So is it affecting him [Hardik]? Maybe. It's possible. He probably hasn't experienced that before in, in any walk of life. So it's natural, I suppose, and particularly being in India and a star Indian player, to be in that position where some fans are booing you, it's certainly something he wouldn't have experienced," Smith said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
As for Smith, he had blocked out all the noise and enjoyed a prolific Ashes series helping Australia retain the urn with series ending in a 2-2 draw. However, Hardik Pandya is enduring a tough time on the field with both bat and ball. Moreover, the responsibility of captaining the side alongside all the criticism and hate could be affecting him as well.
