Sunil Gavaskar Is Angry, Drops Verdict On BBL And The Hundred. Reason: 'Moaning, Cribbing' About BCCI
Sunil Gavaskar pointed out the bias over the little noise about Lord's getting an ICC demerit point from an unsatisfactory pitch.
- Lords received its first ICC demerit point for an unsatisfactory pitch during England vs New Zealand Test
- A venue with six demerit points in five years faces a one-year ban from hosting international matches
- Sunil Gavaskar criticised the silence over Lords' pitch issues compared to criticism of Indian pitches
The IPL 2026 is over and Test cricket is back. India recently beat Afghanistan while England are engaged in a Test battle with New Zealand. Apart from that, Bangladesh beat Pakistan in a Test series last month. Something interesting happened during one of the Test matches. The pitch used during England's first Test loss against New Zealand at Lord's was deemed unsatisfactory. The venue, often called the "Home of Cricket", received one demerit point that will remain on its record for five years. Any venue accumulating six points over that period faces a one-year ban from hosting international matches.
This is the first time that Lord's has got a demerit point, according to reports. Sunil Gavaskar pointed out the bias over the little noise about Lord's getting an ICC demerit point from an unsatisfactory pitch.
"Even as Day One of the only Test between India and Afghanistan gets underway, the first Test between England and New Zealand is finishing with a whimper. Thirty-three wickets have fallen on the first two days at Lord's, the home of English cricket, yet there's hardly any word of rebuke from all those who make a career out of having a go at Indian pitches," Sunil Gavaskar wrote in a column for Mid-day.
"Yes sir, no former player and none of the wordsmiths from the old powers have had much to say. After all, it's inept batting and nothing to do with the pitch, isn't it? If you can't play the moving ball on a cow grazing field masquerading as a cricket pitch, why blame the playing area? If you can't play the bouncing ball on a trampoline, disguised as a bouncy pitch, in Australia, then the pitch isn't to blame. It's the batter's faulty technique and fragile temperament, so we are given to understand.
"But lo and behold, if the pitch affords spin from Day One in India, these very guys will be the ones doing their cardio, jumping up and down and calling it a dust bowl and what not. Not a word about technique and ability. Hypocrites masquerading as experts, that's what they are."
He added that the other boards should be grateful to the BCCI for revenue generation.
"Indian cricket and BCCI bashing is par for the course. But when it comes to revenues, they still have to come to the BCCI because it is Indian cricket and Indian fans that fill their coffers much more than even what their traditional rivalry does," he wrote.
"Cribbing about the IPL and their players not being available for their country is another favourite pastime. Not a word though about the 10% their Boards get of the fee of every player from their country. It adds up to a cool million-plus pounds every year. Does The Hundred give any percentage to the Boards of their overseas players playing in their tournament? No sir. Does the BBL or any other country's T20 leagues give any percentage to the Boards of their overseas players? No sir again. Only the IPL does. Yet the whinging and moaning about BCCI and Indian cricket just goes on and on.
"Wake up and smell the coffee, guys. Indian cricket is here to stay, no matter how you try to pull it down."
Sunil Gavaskar
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
New Zealand Cricket Team