The announcement of India team to the 2025 Asia Cup has again caused controversy. This time around it is the omission of Shreyas Iyer that has made the rounds instead of other topics. Iyer was left out despite his team Punjab Kings reaching the IPL final this year and having a good record with Kolkata Knight Riders previously and this has led to eyebrows being raised across the cricketing world.
Shreyas Iyer Snub Sparks Reactions
Shreyas Iyer was last seen in an India T20I in 2023. However, his performances in the domestic and IPL was good, so his non-selection came as a surprise. There were so many people who thought that he was a strong contender, but the selectors instead have put their bets on Shubman Gill.
This decision has caused a sharp criticism Most of the backlash has been directed at Ajit Agarkar who is the chairman of selectors. The ex-Indian players have been vocally criticizing these actions, but foreign cricket analysts have been very critical of these actions and Sunil Gavaskar is not happy with this.
Sunil Gavaskar Slams Foreign Cricketers
The former India captain who has always been an outspoken person was categorical in opposing the foreign players commenting on Indian cricket affairs. Gavaskar expressed his displeasure in his column in the Sportstar.
“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,” Gavaskar wrote.
He also said that the decisions of Indian cricket should be internal. “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. So, why butt your nose into the selection of the Indian team?”
Gavaskar Responds to Brad Haddin and AB de Villiers
Gavaskar did not mention any names specifically but his comments were really aimed at Brad Haddin and AB de Villiers. Both had said to be surprised at the exclusion of Iyer in the Asia Cup squad.
De Villiers alluded to back-room motives, whereas Haddin was not shy to state that he was surprised by the decision. “I thought he was injured,” the former Australia wicketkeeper said. Gavaskar, however, rubbished such a speculation and instead gave a hint that many of the ex-players utter such words to be in the news media.
He noted that the current platforms such as podcasts, YouTube, and social media, are places where these opinions are frequently used to gain more views and followers. Both de Villiers and Haddin are in fact active on these sites.
Overseas Commentary on Indian Cricket
According to Gavaskar, the foreigners tendency to comment on Indian cricket is not new. He thinks that these comments are aimed at inciting Indian fans and creating a lot of commotion on the Internet. This also improves participation on the part of statement makers.
He claimed that a lot of foreign cricketers gain by creating controversies in Indian cricket. “To an extent, the Indian media is also responsible, as they go to overseas cricketers and ask them about Indian cricket. How often, on overseas tours, do we see members of the Indian media chasing former players from the host country – players whom even their own nation has almost forgotten – for an interview?” Gavaskar remarked.
To him, there is no need to have the Indian cricket to seek validation through outsiders. He did not focus on selection matters as he believed that they are an issue to be handled by Indians. As the Asia Cup nears, Gavaskar has made the same remarks that he did then, and the matter has once again started to be discussed, not only on the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer, but also on how much one should take seriously the opinions of foreigners on Indian cricketing matters.
