Gavaskar hit out at the bowlers for adopting an approach that apparently gives them an advantage.
During the IPL 2024 season, the 75-year-old didn’t mince his words when he slammed star batter Virat Kohli for his rant on strike-rate criticism.
Usually, Gavaskar criticizes the batters for throwing away their wickets or running casually between the wickets or failing to convert ones into twos.
However, the legendary cricketer recently hit out at the bowlers for adopting an approach that apparently gives them an advantage.
Gavaskar condemned the act of bowlers deliberately taking 'drinks breaks' of their own in between overs.
"In cricket, the modern practice of bowlers, especially the quick ones, getting a refreshing drink on the boundary line where they go to field after completing their over is an example of the authorities turning a blind eye to the practice. Why have the drinks interval then if bowlers are going to get themselves hydrated after going flat out for six deliveries? Mind you, the batter doesn’t get the chance to have a drink after an over where they may have taken eight runs or so, which are all run," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
Gavaskar wants stricter rules and has asked the match referees to not let it get brushed under the carpet.
"Cricket is also a game where stamina and endurance matter no matter what the format is, so frankly, it should go back to the days when drinks were taken only after every hour of play and before that only with the permission of the opposition captain and umpires. Once the umpires looked the other way and allowed one bowler to do that, it became a trend, making a mockery of the drinks interval," he added.
"The third umpire and match referee should also ensure that the reserve player does not step onto the field to offer a drink to his teammate but stays outside the boundary line," he further remarked.