Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq lambasted former India legend Sunil Gavaskar over his recent remarks in which he criticised the green shirts over their disappointing campaign at the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025.
In a recent interview, Gavaskar stated that Pakistan's current squad is not strong enough to compete against India's second-string team.
"I think even India's B team would give Pakistan a tough challenge. It would be very hard for Pakistan's current team to beat them," Gavaskar said.
He also pointed out the lack of intent from Pakistan's batters.
"Mohammad Rizwan hit the first ball of his innings for a four, and I thought we were in for something different. However, the batters soon started blocking deliveries instead of rotating the strike. The Indian spinners completed their overs quickly, and it was surprising that Pakistan's batters didn't show any urgency," he said.
Gavaskar further criticised Pakistan's failure to develop bench strength over the years.
"Pakistan has talented players, but they haven't been able to build a strong backup. It's surprising that they have struggled to produce batters like Inzamam-ul-Haq. The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is being played domestically, yet it hasn't yielded enough top-quality batters," he said.
Sunil Gavaskar's remarks certainly did not sit well with Inzamam-ul-Haq, who warned the legendary batter to use his words carefully in a 'slightly harsh' tone.
"Gavaskar sahab should see stats. He is an elder and senior; we respect him. But when talking about someone's country....your team has played well. You have the right to praise your team. But it's not right to say about another team like this. Please be careful with your words, I am saying this in a slightly harsh tone."
Unfair advantage
Former Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan lambasted the India men's cricket team for allegedly benefitting from the scheduling of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025.
The former pacer drew a comparison between the distance travelled by the two finalists before cryptically alleging India of taking advantage of the scheduling of the tournament.
"Distance travelled between matches in Champions Trophy 2025 – New Zealand: 7,150 KM, South Africa: 3,286 KM and India: 0 KM – some teams win by skill, some win by scheduling," Junaid Khan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
For the unversed, New Zealand played their last group-stage fixture here on March 2 and then had to rush to Lahore to play the semi-final just two days later.
After earning a spot in the final, the Blackcaps returned here on Thursday evening, highlighting their packed travelling during the mega event.
India, on the contrary, played all of their Champions Trophy 2025 matches at the same venue.
Just months before the commencement of the eight-team tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send its national men's team to Pakistan, citing the directives of their government.
The BCCI's refusal drew a stern reaction from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), resulting in a long standoff between the two cricketing bodies.
The dispute eventually culminated with PCB proposing a 'Fusion Formula', which states that both teams will play their matches at a neutral venue when India or Pakistan is hosting an event for the next three years.
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