Trouble in Paradise - Sc0utOP Expresses Frustration Over Being Benched

Star player Tanmay ‘Sc0utOP’ Singh has been repeatedly airing his frustrations on being benched on his stream and social media. With Fnatic’s performances in recent tournaments being below par, the team and coach chose to bench Sc0utOP for the near future. The decision has not gone down well with the player who mentioned that his teammates want to try a different strategy without him and hence he will be sitting out of scrims and matches for now. 

Known for being a temperamental and aggressive personality, the player also came under fire recently for an incident involving UMumba’s Bhishma. However, while the two have patched up since then, the drama seems to be never ending as Scout was visibly frustrated with his teammates and coach. He went on to say that the team has chosen to bench him because they want to experiment with a more strategic approach and told him that his firepower was not working out for the moment. His fans too were not pleased and have hounded Fnatic’s coach Pratik ‘Aurum’ Mehra over the decision. 

[Also read: Fnatic Apologizes for Scout's Actions; "Will Take Action"]

When asked about why he has been benched on stream, Sc0ut said that the team is happy with the current style and they don’t need his skills at the moment. He mentioned that he has to respect their decision because his teammates and coach are experienced and have won more trophies than him. However it was said with a pinch of salt. He also made light of the coach’s comments of “trusting the process”. 

While many consider Scout to be the playmaker of the team; Fnatic's only trophy came when he was away on vacation.  Image via @PUBG Mobile India

However, Sc0utOP has also said that he would like to be with Fnatic, but he cannot comment on the future with absolute certainty. He said that he would be playing in PMPL with the team, but given the current equation with his teammates, there is a cloud of uncertainty over Fnatic at the current juncture. 

We reached out to Fnatic’s India lead Nimish ‘Nemo’ Raut for a quote on the matter. Here’s what he said, “I really love the concern that the community has for Fnatic and for Scout. We are a professional organization and we will do what is best for the team of which Scout is an important part. He will obviously be with the team beyond the PMPL and it is important that the fans understand that there are certain things that we don't share with everyone. I'm glad that there is so much love from the community for Scout and he is one of the best players in the country. We hope that we will figure out our strategies and he will soon be a part of the team, however for now it is better if he relaxes and reflects on how he wants his relationship to be with his teammates. That said, everything is great between Scout and me and I speak to him regularly, a lot more than any of the fans. In PUBG Mobile terms, he's knocked down but not finished yet!”

Writer’s take: While Sc0utOP is one of the most talented players in the country, his reaction certainly hasn’t been the most professional. No player can or is bigger than the team itself and that is a lesson that many players in India seem to forget. There is no doubt in Scout's skill and dedication to the game but sometimes you have to sacrifice for the team and that is the mark of a true team player. On the flip side, Fnatic’s decision to not use their most talented player is also potentially damaging to not just their performance but their brand as well. While it may have been a knee jerk reaction, one can only hope that the players, coach and management can sit down and talk openly and clear things out between themselves.