The rise of online trolling has emboldened cricket fans to hurl insults at opposing players, often in a misguided attempt to elevate their favorite cricketer’s status.
Netherlands cricketer Paul van Meekeren found himself the target of an online troll following a dismissal during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. A Pakistani fan took a jab at van Meekeren, a number 11 tailender, by posting a video of him being dismissed by Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf and captioning it, “Paul van Meekeren, you are a son of Haris Rauf.”
Paul van Meekeren duly replied to the insinuating post
Since the last 50 over World Cup I’ve had many people say this… I just wanna clarify that I’m not Haris Raif’s son, my dad is actually, funnily enough, also called Paul (Adriaan) van Meekeren!!
I hope this solves any confusion… if not please reach out with your questions 🫶 https://t.co/CZeDhFXk2Q
— Paul van Meekeren (@paulvanmeekeren) May 24, 2024
Unlike many cricketers who choose to ignore online taunts, van Meekeren decided to respond to the troll in a witty and dignified manner. Taking to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), van Meekeren quoted the tweet and cleverly pointed out the irony in the troll’s statement. He revealed that his father’s name is also Paul, adding a touch of humor by mentioning his middle name “Adriaan.”
“Since the last 50 over World Cup I’ve had many people say this… I just wanna clarify that I’m not Haris Raif’s son, my dad is actually, funnily enough, also called Paul (Adriaan) van Meekeren!! I hope this solves any confusion… if not please reach out with your questions,” wrote van Meekeren.
The incident took place during the 2nd ODI match of the 2023 World Cup between Pakistan and Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Chasing a target of 287 runs, the Dutch team fell short, managing only 205 runs in their 41 overs. Both Pakistan and Netherlands exited the World Cup early that year, with Pakistan finishing at number five and Netherlands at the bottom of the table in the league stage.
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