A FURIOUS cricket fan has demanded Mitch Marsh be banned from the sport for disrespecting the World Cup trophy.
Marsh and his Australia team-mates are still on cloud nine after beating India on hostile ground earlier this month to win the tournament.
Australia beat India earlier this month to win the Cricket World CupREX
GETTYMitch Marsh was overcome with emotion after the final and kissed the trophy[/caption]
Marsh is facing calls from angry India fans to be banned from cricket for putting his feet up on the trophy
As most athletes do after winning a tournament, Marsh and his team-mates posed for several snaps with the trophy.
But Marsh riled up Indian cricket fans by popping his feet atop of the trophy as he sat back and relaxed with a beer.
The photo spread like wildfire on social media, with enraged India fans lambasting the second-generation Australia star.
And one furious follower of the Men in Blue went a step further, demanding the 32-year-old be “handed a lifetime ban from cricket” in angry letters to the Prime Minister and Sports Ministry.
In an excerpt of the leaked letter, the fan wrote: “By putting his feet on something that Indians consider sacred [the trophy], Marsh has disrespected both religious and cultural sentiments of the nation.”
The irate India fan even called for Marsh – who plays for the Delhi Capitals – to never be granted an Indian visa.
The complainant plans to give the authorities time to punish Marsh, claiming they’ll “wait for them [the police] to proceed”.
But they plan to take the matter to COURT should no action be taken against Marsh.
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It’s not just India fans who are seemingly agitated by Marsh’s trophy antics.
India fast bowler Mohammed Shami has also slammed the Aussie for his actions – which some on social media have been calling “disgraceful”.
The 33-year-old said: “I am hurt.
“The trophy for which all the teams in the world fight, the trophy which you want to lift over your head, keeping a foot on that trophy did not make me happy.”
Marsh was one of Australia’s most consistent performers in the tournament, scoring 441 runs at an average of 49.
After the Aussies got their hands on the trophy, he said: “Pure elation.
“I said to a few of the boys just earlier, it’s been the hardest eight weeks of cricket I’ve ever been a part of.”
“We were 0-2 (after two matches), and Sri Lanka were none for 0-120 (in Australia’s third game), so that feels like a lifetime ago.
“To be here with this group (as champions), it’s unbelievable.”
GettyIndia’s Mohammed Shami was far from happy with Mitch Marsh’s antics[/caption]