‘Their salaries come from what India brings' - Sunil Gavaskar hits back at English commentators' complaints
"Rather than constantly focusing on India, are you even looking at your own backyard?" Gavaskar critiqued.
The debate over India’s claimed advantage in the ongoing 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has received different opinions among cricket experts. Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton have been vocal about the Men in Blue playing all their matches in Dubai, calling it an unfair advantage.
Their criticism was supported by players like Jos Buttler and Rassie van der Dussen, who pointed out that other teams had to travel between venues across Pakistan while India remained in one city. However, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has given his take on these comments, calling them baseless complaints.
The scheduling of the Champions Trophy became a talking point after Pakistan’s interim coach Aaqib Javed also spoke on their arch-rivals, India's supposed advantage following their group-stage defeat against them. Australia’s Pat Cummins and South Africa’s Van der Dussen further alleged that the former champions benefited from playing all their matches at a single venue. Gavaskar stressed upon England’s cricketers and commentators, asking them to focus on their own team’s performances rather than constantly complaining about India.
“I think these are all wise and experienced people. Why don’t you actually look at why your team has not qualified? That’s what I was going to ask you, sir. Rather than constantly focusing on India, are you even looking at your own backyard? Your players are in such a fragile mental state—they don’t seem to care about results as long as they meet certain expectations,” Gavaskar said, as quoted by India Today.
We must just ignore it. Let them keep moaning: Sunil Gavaskar
However, this situation took place due to political and security concerns, as the Indian government did not permit the national team to travel to Pakistan. The BCCI, therefore, proposed a hybrid model, with Dubai being finalized as the side's neutral venue.
The former batter also mentioned India’s role in global cricket finances. He emphasized that revenue generated by Indian cricket impacts the salaries of players, commentators, and cricket boards worldwide.
"As I said before, it’s not even worth commenting on. It really isn’t. They are always moaning. They just cannot seem to understand where India stands in international cricket, in terms of quality, income, talent, and, more importantly, in terms of generating revenue. India’s contribution to global cricket—through television rights and media revenue—plays a massive role. They need to understand that their salaries also come from what India brings to the world of cricket,” he added.
Meanwhile, England had a disappointing campaign, losing to Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa. Gavaskar opined that England played two matches at the same venue (Lahore) before their final game in Karachi, yet no one raised concerns about that. Other teams, including Australia and Afghanistan, also played multiple games at a single venue.
"You must care about results. You must care for your country and for any team you play for. If you are playing for your country, the responsibility is even greater. All the time, they are moaning India has got this, India has got that.’ It’s constant. We must just ignore it. Let them keep moaning. We have better things to focus on. That is the kind of attitude you must have,” Gavaskar concluded.
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