Have learned to laugh about all criticisms from trolls, asserts Stuart Binny
Stuart Binny has revealed that he has learned to deal with all his trolls and found his way to laugh about it even though the comments could be 'shocking' sometimes. He has moved to Nagaland for this year's domestic season and is hopeful of having a memorable stint with the team.
From carrying the baggage of being called "Roger Binny's son" instead of playing at the highest level, Stuart Binny is least bothered about countering trolls. When India was in desperate need of a fast-bowling all-rounder Stuart Binny was named in an India side for the time. It required something extraordinary of him to cement his place and he obliged a magical spell where he picked up 6 wickets giving away just 4 runs against Bangladesh which is by far the best ODI bowling performance.
“Ignoring trolls and criticism took time but now I’ve learned to laugh about it. But that hasn’t stopped me from getting shocked at how silly some of the comments can get,” Binny said about trolls.
The dream was short-lived and Stuart faded away from the selector’s sight of all-rounders. The end was marked on August 27, 2016, in Lauderhill, Florida when the all-rounder was brought on to bowl by captain MS Dhoni in the eleventh over of a T20I against the West Indies. On strike was a raging Evin Lewis, batting on 51 and a strike-rate of 200 before Binny had even bowled a ball. Lewis then went on to smash Binny for five consecutive sixes. Thirty-two runs came from the over, the most expensive by an Indian in a T20I, and the second-most expensive in the format.
“I came on to bowl at a stage when they were flying. So, it was always going to be either that or me getting a wicket. There was never going to be an in-between, you know. Like I was never going to go for just 10 runs. But what hurt more than the over was that we lost the game by such a narrow margin—one run,” recalled Binny.
“Look, every ball I bowled in that over, was the best ball I could bowl, make no mistake. I wasn’t just ambling in and putting the ball out there. I tried my best, but it wasn’t good enough on the day. Simple as that."
Stuart, who will now turn up for the minnows Nagaland in the upcoming Ranji Trophy, feels that Nagaland players will learn with time.
In his very first game for Nagaland, Binny had smacked 107 (seven sixes, seven fours) against Uttarakhand in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. It came in a Nagaland total of 174. The next highest score to Binny’s was 15.
“They’re learning,” says Binny. “It will take some time for the game to catch on in that part of the country. But that’s why my new challenge is so exciting, and it is one of the big reasons for my move from Karnataka. I want to give back to the game that has given me everything.”
Nagaland players are in awe when Stuart Binny takes guard to bat and drives a bowler beautifully down the ground and there is a sense of respect for the all-rounder. It has to be seen how much they can learn from the veteran and improve their performance in the upcoming season.