Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has hit back at Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton after the former England captains raised concerns over India playing all their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai.
With India refusing to travel to Pakistan due to political tensions, the ICC scheduled all their group-stage games in Dubai, a move that sparked debate over fairness. However, Gavaskar dismissed England’s complaints, calling them excuses for their own failures.
Speaking to Sports Today, the Indian legend criticized the constant whining from former English cricketers, urging them to reflect on their own team’s early exit from the tournament rather than fixating on India.
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“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,” Sunil Gavaskar stated.
“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.”
England’s semi-final hopes were dashed after losses to Australia and Afghanistan, prompting Hussain and Atherton to question whether India had an unfair advantage. But Gavaskar was quick to shut down the narrative.
“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,” he further stated.
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Sunil Gavaskar also highlighted India’s massive influence in world cricket, both in terms of on-field dominance and financial contributions through media rights and sponsorships.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
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