Avoid social media: Langer's advice to young sportspersons

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Sydney, Aug 13 (IANS) Australia coach and former batsman Justin Langer said that his only advice for young sportspersons or anyone in the public eye is to avoid social media.

Langer said that he would rather hear the people who he respects or his family and friends whether he is doing well or not instead of "strangers."

"If I could give any young player any advice, actually if I could give anyone any advice that is in the public eye, it is zero social media," the 49-year-old said during Charlie Webster's 'My Sporting Mind' podcast.

"I say that because I don't need any stranger telling me how good I am and, more importantly, I don't need strangers telling me how bad I am because I know if I am playing well, I know if I am playing poorly.

"I don't need strangers telling me that. What I do need is the people who I respect, my family and friends, they will let me know."

Langer also said that fans should refrain from abusing players from the stands when watching a match. He said that he could not believe some of the things that were said to the players during their lengthy tour of England last year which included the 2019 World Cup and the Ashes.

The Ashes marked the comeback of Steve Smith and David Warner after their one-year bans due to the 2018 ball tampering scandals and they were almost always welcomed with boos and jeers whenever they came out to bat, scored a century or even picked the ball while on the field. Indian captain Virat Kohli had admonished fans for booing Smith during their match in the World Cup.

"One of my pet hates in life is people pay their 20 quid or 20 bucks and they come and watch a sporting game and think they can say whatever they want," he said. "They abuse people who are trying so hard out on the field and they say whatever they want and people say 'ah you need to have a sense of humour'. Are you kidding me?

"Some of the things we were exposed to in England last year during the World Cup and Ashes, I cannot believe it. It was from parents who had their little kids next to them.

"It just doesn't make any sense to me. But 'oh well you get paid a lot of money so harden up?' Man, if people said that to my children I would be shattered and my players become my kids and you feel for them.

"It is part of what we choose to go in to and I get all that, but it is still common decency and courtesy and it is really lacking in our communities today."

--IANS

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