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Cricket PlayersGautam Gambhir straight up refuses to entertain Pakistan’s India T20 World Cup boycott shenanigans
India head coach Gautam Gambhir ignored questions around Pakistan's boycott drama.
Gautam Gambhir is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, a trait that has remained synonymous with him since his playing days. Transitioning from a cricketer to politics to now serving as a head coach, Gambhir has donned several hats, and throughout these roles, the one thing that’s stayed unmoved is his love for his nation. Having already led India to a Champions Trophy triumph and an Asia Cup title, Gambhir is up for the toughest assignment of his coaching tenure when India begin their T20 World Cup title defence.
However, the status of one of India’s crucial league matches – against Pakistan on February 15 – is currently unknown. The Pakistan government has announced a boycott of the marquee fixture in solidarity with Bangladesh, prompting no shortage of reactions. The ICC has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its stance, but as the world stands divided, with some believing the stance is justified, and others confident that Pakistan would make a U-turn, cricket suffers.
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Amid the tension and drama, India head coach Gambhir, who reached Mumbai for India’s first warm-up match against South Africa, refrained from getting involved in the ongoing shenanigans. As reporters surrounded the coach, Gambhir refused to entertain questions about Pakistan’s boycott. He simply shrugged off and said ‘Thank you’.
Gambhir has never shied away from having a go at Pakistan. Recall the instance against Shahid Afridi in the 2007 bilateral series in India, or in the 2009 Asia Cup, when he had a go at former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. Heck, even during the 2022 Asia Cup, Gambhir flipped a section of the Pakistan crowd that was directing derogatory chants at India.
Gambhir has been very vocal lately, not mincing words about India’s performance. After the team was drubbed by South Africa at home a few months ago, Gambhir said it’s up to the BCCI to decide his future and even dragged IPL franchise owner Parth Jindal into one of the discussions.
