'None of their business': Gavaskar shows foreign greats their place for blaming Agarkar in Shreyas Iyer's Asia Cup axe

So once again, an Indian cricket squad picked for a tournament has raised eyebrows and become a subject of debate. If the presence of experience emerged as the biggest talking point of India's 15-member squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, the latest Asia Cup selection has diverted all the attention to Shreyas Iyer's snub. Iyer, who just a few months ago led Punjab Kings to the final of the IPL 2025 and was a winning captain with the Kolkata Knight Riders the years before, last played a T20I for India in 2023. Still, the fact that he did not find a place, whereas Shubman Gill got selected, triggered a storm across the Indian cricketing fraternity. From left: Shreyas Iyer, Sunil Gavaskar and Ajit Agarkar.(PTI/PTI/ANI)

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the BCCI selection committee, faced the most flak, with several former cricketers indirectly taking potshots at him. But while the dissent from the Indian greats is on expected lines, the outburst from overseas cricket greats has not been welcomed by Sunil Gavaskar. The legendary Indian cricketer, not one to mince words, lashed out at the foreign cricketers, emphasising that they have no business sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.

"What is baffling is foreigners who have zero stake in Indian cricket, and much less knowledge about it, wading into the debate and adding fuel to the fire. However great they may be as players and however many times they may have been to India, the selection of the Indian team is strictly none of their business," Gavaskar wrote in his column for The Sportstar.

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"They should focus on their country's cricket and let us Indians worry about our cricket. Amazingly, when their country's teams are selected, there's hardly anything, if ever, heard from them about the selection. It's almost as if the selection is perfect and they have no comments to make. So, why butt your nose into the selection of the Indian team? Have you ever heard Indian ex-cricketers talk about the selection of other countries’ teams? No, we mind our own business, and seriously couldn’t be bothered by who they choose or who they don't select."

While Gavaskar did not take names, his smashing answer is a reply to Brad Haddin and AB de Villiers, both of whom expressed huge surprise at Iyer's selection. Although de Villiers' take was mellow, the South African great did hint at some 'closed-door happenings' playing a role in Shreyas' axe. Haddin, on the other hand, was expressive, clearly not able to digest the fact that his captain at PBKS, a team he served as assistant coach earlier this year, was left out. "I thought he was injured," he said.

Sunil Gavaskar doesn't stop there

To it, Gavaskar went on, taking a dig at former cricketers' attempt to garner followers through either podcasts, social media or YouTube. Incidentally, both Haddin and de Villiers are a part of this set-up, with the former Australia wicketkeeper batter being a regular guest on the LiSTNR Sport Podcast, and ABD running his own YouTube channel.

Today, in the days of public media, where getting views and followers is the theme, one of the fastest ways to increase the numbers is by commenting on matters Indian. And mostly, they do it negatively, so there is a huge reaction from Indian keyboard users, which in turn boosts their follower count. If you have thick skin, then all the better. That’s why so many overseas cricketers have made a living by needling the Indian cricket lovers with their mostly negative comments about Indian cricket and cricketers.

"To an extent, the Indian media is also responsible, as they go to overseas cricketers and ask them about Indian cricket. How often, on overseas tours, do we see members of the Indian media chasing former players from the host country – players whom even their own nation has almost forgotten – for an interview? It’s almost as if validation about Indian cricket and its cricketers has to be obtained from overseas players."

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