Former India captain and legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar has strongly criticized foreign cricket experts for weighing in on India’s squad selection for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. With the recent announcement of the team sparking debates, particularly over the omission of players like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gavaskar made his stance very clear: outsiders should stay away from India’s internal cricket matters.
Gavaskar’s Strong Words
In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar pointed out that several former overseas cricketers and pundits, who have “zero stake in Indian cricket”, were unnecessarily adding fuel to the fire by questioning team decisions. He stated:
“What is baffling is foreigners who have zero stake in Indian cricket, and much less knowledge about it, wading into the debate and adding fuel to the fire. However great they may be as players and however many times they may have been to India, the selection of the Indian team is strictly none of their business. They should focus on their country’s cricket and let us Indians worry about our cricket. Amazingly, when their country’s teams are selected, there’s hardly anything, if ever, heard from them about the selection,” Gavaskar wrote.
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“It’s almost as if the selection is perfect and they have no comments to make. So, why butt your nose into the selection of the Indian team? Have you ever heard Indian ex-cricketers talk about the selection of other countries’ teams? No, we mind our own business, and seriously couldn’t be bothered by who they choose or who they don’t select,” he added.
Double Standards and the Media’s Role
Gavaskar also called out the double standards of foreign commentators. According to him, many of these opinions are often designed for social media traction, to stir Indian fans and create controversy. He didn’t spare the Indian media either, blaming them for constantly seeking validation from foreign voices. Instead of relying on India’s own analysts and former cricketers, Gavaskar noted, media houses often give unnecessary importance to outsiders’ opinions, further fueling debates.