Former Indian Captain Sunil Gavaskar who has turned 74 today defended Indian cricket fans against overseas commentators’ “condescending way”, in a mid-day column, while discussing the fans’ behavior, and said it is natural for local fans to support their home team, citing an example of the Ashes Test Series in England.
What did Sunil Gavaskar say?
In his column, the former captain said English fans supporting and celebrating the players from their country when matches are held locally is “understandable”. However, he criticised the “condescending way” in which overseas commentators point out Indian fans’ reaction to their players getting out or when a boundary is hit against their bowlers, when they are in India. He argued this was not just an Indian phenomena and happens in every country. The commentators keep pointing out the quietness seen among Indian fans when their players get out or when their bowler is hit for a boundary.
Citing an example of the current Ashes Test series and the Tennis tournament at Wimbledon, he wrote that every point that a British player wins is cheered by their countrymen while a score by an opponent is met with an “perfunctory applause”. “It’s only natural that the crowds will support their own team and won’t cheer the opponents, but to suggest that it happens only in India is ridiculous,” he added.
Discussing the Jonny Bairstow dismissal controversy in the column, Gavaskar said the row has pushed England Captain Ben Stokes’ “marvellous innings” into the background. “It’s a great example of how little things so often overshadow the more important happenings,” he wrote. He said the British media “unsuprisingly” focussed on the dismissal.
“This has been the usual diversionary tactic used by the overseas media for years where a small insignificant incident is made to cover up for a bigger failure of the team,” the former cricketer penned.