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Sunil Gavaskar On Lashes At Critics For Involving BCCI In Pitch Doctoring

image-lpb9ejzsIndia and Australia played ICC CWC 2023 Final [AP Photo]

Any series played in India gets clouded by accusations of the home board i.e. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intervening to ensure pitches help and give an undue advantage to the host nation. 

Foreign media expressed their concerns regarding pitches used in the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 during India's matches, especially on the eve of the final against Australia, which stole all the limelight away from players and the occasion.

Winners, Australia outclassed and outplayed India in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which witnessed a dual-natured track that played slow under the sun while getting easy to bat under lights. 

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar known for his straightforward opinions, called such accusations "pretty irrelevant". The controversy gained momentum before India's semi-final clash against New Zealand, where reports suggested that the ICC head curator expressed his surprise over the change of pitch.


Here's what Gavaskar wrote

"The accusation of BCCI interference in the selection of the pitches for India matches again was pretty irrelevant, as the ICC pitch consultant was around, and only after the ICC gave its approval was the match played on the pitch."

In his column for Sportstar, the cricketer-turned-commentator stated that Mohammed Shami's performance against New Zealand at Wankhede should be enough for such baseless claims to be shrugged off. 

"Nothing in the playing conditions say that for the knockout games, a fresh pitch had to be used, so just because India's matches were played on previously used pitches didn't mean there was any hanky-panky. That was proven conclusively in the semifinals, where the allegation of a dry pitch to suit the Indian spinners was made, but more than 725 runs were scored, and a fast bowler took seven wickets for India."

Meanwhile, India are gearing up to play a five-match T20I series against Australia that commences this evening.