'It's an insult to a great man' - Sunil Gavaskar lashes out at BCCI official for comparing IPL with Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy without foreign players

Sunil Gavaskar was a master of his time. His batting was praised all over the globe during the 1970s and 80s. The flair which the Mumbaikar used to bat is unmatched and can not be surpassed by anyone. Since his retirement in 1987, the veteran has been involved in the game mostly as a presenter.

Often he has voiced his opinion about the matters related to cricket. His strong opinions have been even praised by many individuals. Gavaskar, who once held the position of the interim head of IPL governing council, recently talked about the delay of the tournament until April 15.

The former Indian captain revealed how the participation of foreign players adds a bit of flavour to the tournament. “Whether the IPL will be played at all depends on how quickly the spread of COVID-19 is controlled. Till April 15 overseas players won’t get a visa so it may take a bit longer for the tournament to take off. Foreign players bring a different flavour to the tournament and add to the excitement, so it’s important to have them,” Gavaskar pointed out how the tournament can’t be held if the foreign players don’t get Visas.

Sunil Gavaskar slams BCCI official for his ‘insulting’ remark

After this, the legend expressed his opinion on a comment made by a BCCI official. According to Gavaskar, the official said that if IPL is played without foreign players then it will be like a Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, which has poor standards of cricket. For the unaware, Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament is the annual T20 tournament organised by BCCI, where all domestic state teams in the country participate.

“Having said that, for a so-called top BCCI official to comment that “the BCCI has to ensure the quality of the game is not poor. We did not want a Mushtaq Ali tournament,” is an incredibly insensitive statement if indeed it is true,” the veteran of 125 Tests said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The former Indian opener then went on to raise the question on the quality of cricket being played in the domestic T20 tournament. He asks BCCI to look into the scheduling of the tournament so that international Indian players can take part in it.

“Firstly, it’s insulting to the great man after whom the tournament is named and secondly begs the question that if it’s such a “poor” tournament, then why have it at all? Also, can light be shed on why the quality of the tournament is poor? Surely it’s not simply because there are no international players in it, but also because there are no Indian internationals in it! That is a scheduling issue that the BCCI has to look at”, Gavaskar said.