Cricket Australia Breaks Silence On Sunil Gavaskar Snub At Trophy Presentation
Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar was stunned on Sunday after Cricket Australia ignored and didn't bother to call him up for the presentation of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. Australia claimed the BGT almost after a decade, and after winning the title, Australian legend Allan Border was seen handing over the trophy to the winning skipper, Pat Cummins. At that time, Gavaskar was standing alone at the edge of the boundary ropes. After all this, Cricket Australia opened up on this matter of not calling Gavaskar for the presentation ceremony.
It is being stated that the Australian board made this decision a long time back that if Australia won the series, then Border would be called to present the trophy to the home team, and if India managed to retain the title by leveling the series at 2-2 in the fifth Test, then Gavaskar would have been called to present the trophy to stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah. However, it was quite embarrassing that Gavaskar was not called to the podium despite the legend being present at the ground.
A CA spokesperson said,
"We acknowledge it would have been preferable if both Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar had been asked to go on the stage."
"Just because I am an Indian, I did not present the trophy" - Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar was quite disappointed with this behavior of Cricket Australia and said he would have loved to have been there for the presentation; after all, it was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and it is about India and Australia. To him it won't matter that Australia won when it comes to presentation; they played good cricket, so they won. He also said that he would have been very happy to present the trophy with good friend Allan Border.
"I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all, it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket, so they won. That's fine. Just because I am an Indian, I did not present the trophy. I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border."