Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has criticized legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar after Gavaskar suggested that even India’s second-string team could outperform Pakistan. Gavaskar’s comments followed India’s dominant victory over Pakistan in a recent Champions Trophy match. He stated that Pakistan might struggle to compete even against India’s ‘B’ team, mentioning that while a ‘C’ team might be uncertain, a ‘B’ team would be very challenging for Pakistan in their current form.
Inzamam, however, dismissed Gavaskar’s claim, bringing up an instance where Gavaskar allegedly avoided playing against Pakistan in Sharjah during his career.
“India won, they played well, but Mr. Gavaskar should consider the statistics. He once avoided a match in Sharjah against Pakistan. He is our senior and we respect him greatly, but such comments about a country are inappropriate. Praising your own team is fine, but making such remarks about other teams is in poor taste,” Inzamam stated in an interview.
Inzamam emphasized the overall head-to-head record between the two nations, implying that Gavaskar is damaging his reputation with such contentious statements.
“He should look at the stats to see where Pakistan stands. I am very disappointed by his statement. He is a respected former cricketer, but these kinds of comments diminish his legacy. He needs to be more careful with his words,” he added.
Pakistan holds a 73-58 lead in head-to-head ODI encounters against India. However, Pakistan’s recent cricket performance has been declining, as evidenced by their fifth-place finishes in the last two ODI World Cups.
Gavaskar had also offered his analysis on the reasons for Pakistan’s recent struggles in international cricket.
“I find their lack of bench strength surprising. Pakistan has always had natural talent – perhaps not always technically refined, but with an innate sense for the game,” Gavaskar commented.
“Take Inzamam-ul-Haq, for example. His batting stance might not be textbook, but his exceptional temperament compensated for any technical deficiencies.”
Even former England captain Michael Atherton has described the current India-Pakistan rivalry as largely one-sided in terms of competition.
