The higher rises, the longer the fall. India, for better or for worse, remains at the apex of international cricket. But, the same has also opened up the gates for undue criticism towards the nation, and has brought to light the unfair (and sometimes, the seemingly colonial) manner in which the game’s growth is perceived due to India’s dominance.
Much has been said about the BCCI, with few raising concerns over whether the cricketing board will help foster the growth of Test cricket or prioritize shorter formats due to the success of the IPL.
The seemingly naive and ignorant attitude exhibited was received by Sunil Gavaskar, who in retaliation, spoke out against the vitriol that has been spewed about Indian cricket.
“For some strange reason, there’s a perception overseas that BCCI does not like Test cricket,” Gavaskar wrote in his piece for Sportstar.
“That’s a ridiculous notion, as India play more than half a dozen Test matches every season, be it at home or away. Just because the IPL is massively successful doesn’t mean BCCI is not interested in promoting Test cricket, but that’s the narrative that’s being peddled by the overseas media.”
Gavaskar also highlighted the hypocrisy in their perception, stating that the venue of the World Test Championship has been a topic of debate owing to England’s improved chances of making the final now, thanks to their rich run of form.
“The ICC just announced that the WTC final will be played at Lord’s next June. Well, we have heard the same declaration twice earlier, but as soon as it’s seen that England is not going to qualify for the final, the venue gets changed to Southampton or The Oval in London. Now that England is winning more Test matches in this period and there’s a good chance that they may get to the final, we are being told the final will be at Lord’s.”
The legendary Indian though threw a sharp dig at the Englishmen by whipping up his own take on Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Chisti, stating, “Dilli (Lord’s) abhi bhi door hai,” toying with the notion that the England team still have a long way to go to get to Lord’s.
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