Gautam Gambhir lashed out at former cricketers who appeared to endorse unhealthy and harmful pan masala in advertisements, calling it ‘disgusting and disappointing’.
“Disgusting because in my life I had never thought a sportsperson would do a pan masala ad and disappointing as I keep saying the same thing and will keep doing so, your role model should be chosen very carefully, after a lot of thought and deliberation. Name is not important, their actions are. Be it anybody. On is not known because of their name but because of their work actions," Gautam Gambhir told News18 India.
“Crores of youth are seeing them and money is not that important that you will do any pan masala ad. There are many other ways to earn money. Even if one has to let go of some money-making opportunity, as one is a role model of the youth, one has to have that courage," he added.
Gautam pointed out that he had given up his salary after he retired midway through the 2018 season of the Indian Premier League.
“In 2018, when I stepped down as the captain of the Delhi Capitals, I had given up on three crores. I could have pocketed that money but I feel I should get only what I deserve and not what I want," Gambhir said.
Gambhir went on to point out that popular Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, had apologised to his fans and withdrawn advertisements of a similar product, adding that cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, in the past, refused categorically to partake in such endorsements.
“When a film actor does these ads, we criticise them. No one has apologised yet.
If in the future some young players start doing ads for pan masala, will have the power to say no to that person. That player can also turn around and say that others too have done the same. What trend is this setting? Have the courage to say no," Gambhir said.
“Sachin Tendulkar too was offered 20-30 crores but he had said no to pan masala ads as he had promised his father he would never. That is why is a role model," he added.
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