Earlier this week, former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain claimed that the Indian team has an "undeniable advantage" of playing all its matches at one venue in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Notably, the BCCI refused to send its team to Pakistan due to security concerns and political tensions between the two countries, forcing the ICC to adopt a hybrid model, in which India will be playing all of their games in Dubai.
After India’s back-to-back wins in the tournament over Bangladesh and Pakistan, Atherton and Hussain said that the Rohit Sharma-led side is enjoying an advantage, as unlike the rest of the teams, they don't have to travel from one venue to another or consider team selection based on conditions.
However, their statement left the Indian cricket fraternity furious. Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar hit back at the two, saying that they should stop moaning and instead focus on their own team's performance.
"I think these are all wise and experienced people. Why don't you actually look at why your team has not qualified? That's what I was going to ask you, sir. Rather than constantly focusing on India, are you even looking at your own backyard? Your players are in such a fragile mental state-they don't seem to care about results as long as they meet certain expectations," Gavaskar told India Today.
"You must care about results. You must care for your country, for any team you play for. If you are playing for your country, the responsibility is even greater. All the time, they are moaning -- 'India has got this, India has got that.' It's constant. We must just ignore it. Let them keep moaning. We have better things to focus on. That is the kind of attitude you must have," he added.
For the record, England were knocked out of the semifinal race after losing to Australia and Afghanistan in Lahore. They will only travel to Karachi for the final group-stage match against South Africa.
Gavaskar also highlighted India's stature in terms of quality and revenue and had no qualms in reminding the former cricketers that a big part of their salaries also come from what India bring to world cricket.
"As I said before, it's not even worth commenting on. It really isn't. They are always moaning. They just cannot seem to understand where India stands in international cricket-in terms of quality, income, talent, and, more importantly, in terms of generating revenue. India's contribution to global cricket-through television rights and media revenue-plays a massive role. They need to understand that their salaries also come from what India brings to the world of cricket," he remarked.
