'We speak for sake of TV & money, who are we?': Gavaskar's rant after Australia reclaims BGT goes viral| WATCH
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Jan 5, 2025, 12:46 PM ISTIn a candid outburst that has taken the cricket world by storm, former India cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has raised eyebrows with his strong comments following Australia’s victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Sunday.
In a candid outburst that has taken the cricket world by storm, former India cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has raised eyebrows with his strong comments following Australia’s victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Sunday. His comments, aired during a post-match discussion on Star Sports, have gone viral as he fiercely criticized the role of former players and pundits in public discourse surrounding India's performances overseas.
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"Who are we? We don't know cricket. We just speak for the sake of TV and get money, don't listen to us, we're nothing. Listen from one ear, remove from another," Gavaskar said, pointing out how some former cricketers are often dismissed by fans and critics as mere talking heads, offering opinions for financial gain rather than insightful analysis.
Gavaskar of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is pissed from his team like every fan and rightly so !! pic.twitter.com/IzO4rVX2nQ
— Yo Yo Funny Singh (@moronhumor)Question - should India prepare better by playing matches before the tour?
Sunil Gavaskar - who are we? We don't know cricket. We just speak just for the sake of TV and get money, don't listen to us, we're nothing. Listen from one ear, remove from another. (Star Sports). pic.twitter.com/pv8tO9IhWS
Gavaskar also candidly shared his thoughts on how India’s coaching staff may have fallen short in preparing the team for the tough challenges faced during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Sunil Gavaskar on India's coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/8X2cFvQ3n7
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)This rant came after India’s defeat to Australia in the final Test in Sydney, which saw the hosts reclaim the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade. Australia won the five-match series 3-1 and qualified for the WTC final against South Africa slated at the Lord's from June 11 to 15.
Congratulations to our Australian Men's Cricket Team on regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in an incredible series against India 🏆 pic.twitter.com/lBpxgQiPxw
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus)Gavaskar calls SCG pitch 'not ideal'
The Test match was marred by a lively SCG pitch, which both players and commentators found unusual. While Australia’s head coach Gautam Gambhir praised the pitch for its "spicy" and "result-oriented" nature, Gavaskar had a very different take on the playing surface. He described it as "not ideal for a Test match," criticizing it for being too volatile and not lasting long enough into the fifth day.
"When I saw the pitch, I did say the cows could have gone and grazed on it," Gavaskar said on ABC Sport.
"This is not the ideal Test match pitch that you want because you want it to go into the fourth or the fifth day. Unless there is rain, I don’t see us being here on day four," he added.
Gavaskar mentioned that if a similar wicket had been provided in India, it would have faced intense criticism from Australian and English cricketers.
"All hell would have broken loose. There would have been all kinds of innuendos, all sorts of comments about 'Is this a good pitch?'" he said.
"Even former players who played on this pitch before were so surprised. We had Glenn McGrath saying he'd never seen that much grass on the pitch. The point is, when you go overseas, you have to be prepared to play on the surface," he added.
The 75-year-old former batter also took aim at former players for complaining about challenging pitches in India.
"Over the years, have you ever heard a former Indian cricketer complain about conditions? They accept that's what playing overseas is all about,” Gavaskar said.
"We are not moaners, we are not whingers. When we go (abroad) and play cricket, we will tough it out, and if we are beaten, we are beaten. We understand that overseas it's very difficult to beat home teams. You'll never find us complaining. But 15 wickets in a day in India, man, there would be hell," he remarked.
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