‘Decisions were excused as human error…’-Sunil Gavaskar opines on hypocrisy in pitch assessment

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has slammed SENA media as they complained about turning pitches in India after South Africa lost the second Test game against Rohit Sharma and Co. in Cape Town. Notably, the Proteas were all bundled out for just 55 runs, which helped India get the massive lead to win the game as well as level up the series by 1-1.

Notably, after the 23 falls of wickets on the first day of the second Test game, a plethora of cricket fans and experts have different views on the pitch. However, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar had no complaints about the pitch. The former India skipper was then curious as to how the SENA media had reported the pitches that were being turned. Moreover, the renowned cricket commentator says that a player is considered to be a competent batter if they can execute well on rank turners, which lets a player showcase every shot in their game.

“These kinds of excuses that the curator got it wrong are typical of the SENA countries. When our curators make a dry pitch then it’s ‘chicanery’, as a former Australian skipper said last year after the Aussies had been walloped in the first two Test matches. So our groundsmen do it deliberately, but their groundsmen just get it wrong. It’s like before the third country umpires came in, where decisions by their umpires were excused as ‘human error’ while our umpires were cheats and ‘Delhi Butchers’ and all such derogatory headlines,” Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day.

Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticized and allegations will fly thick and fast: Sunil Gavaskar

Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar accepted that there will be a plethora of critics during the India vs England Test series which is slated to commence on January 25 in Hyderabad.

“In about three weeks another Test series starts with a country that has the biggest whingeing and moaning media in sport. Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticized and allegations will fly thick and fast,” he added further.