Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar did not hold back as he slammed former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton for 'moaning' over India refusing to travel to Pakistan due to politicial tensions and playing all their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai. After Hussain and Atherton's comments, Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed also said that India have an 'undeniable' advantage. England captain Jos Buttler and South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen also voiced their opinions. As England got knocked out of the semifinal race after losing to Australia and Afghanistan, Gavaskar wants former English cricketers to focus on their team's performance instead of 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 in an exclusive interaction with Sports Today.
"You must care about results. You must care for your country, 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.
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"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."
Buttler resigns as captain, last clash vs South Africa
England played both their matches at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore and lost. In the first game, they could not defend a total of 351. Against Afghanistan, they could not chase down 326 despite Joe Root's century. As a result, Buttler announced that he has stepped down as captain. The clash against South Africa at National Stadium, Karachi on March 1 will be Buttler's last match as England captain.
