Pak players shocked at Gavaskar's remarks

Former Pakistan greats led by Javed Miandad expressed extreme disappointment over legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar's bitter remarks to oust Pakistan team from the Asia Cup, scheduled to be held later this year.

"India and Sri Lanka are the hosts for this particular edition of the Asia Cup, so it depends on whether things have changed at all, but if things haven't changed, I can't see Pakistan now being part of the Asia Cup," Gavaskar told Sports Today.

Reacting to Gavaskar's statement, Pakistan run-scoring legend Javed Miandad said he can't believe that these are "Sunny bhai's remarks." "I can't believe his statement," Miandad told Telecomasia.net. "I don't believe Sunny Bhai has said that. I know him more than anyone in Pakistan. He has a lot of respect for Pakistan so he cannot make these comments."

"Gavaskar is a down to earth person and stays away from such things," said Miandad, who played a lot of cricket against the Indian great.

Another of Gavaskar's contemporaries, Iqbal Qasim said he also could not believe this initially. "I thought this statement was wrongly attributed to him... he cannot say such words," Qasim told Telecomasia.net. "I am shocked that Gavaskar said that but when I got to know that he said that on television then it's out of question that he was wrongly attributed.

"I feel Gavaskar is a very responsible person and he is very popular on both sides of the border and should not have said that," said the former spinner.

"Asia Cup is participated by all the Asian teams and saying that Pakistan should not be allowed to feature in it is ridiculous. There is no space for politics in sports and by saying such things will not help sports," said Qasim who took Gavsakar's wicket in the Indian great's last Test innings in Bangalore in 1987.
TELECOMASIA.NET