‘They always try to do such unnecessary things’- Former India Selector questions Australian media’s intentions in criticising venue change
India came up with a dominating win over Australia in the first Test match at Nagpur. The highly anticipated match was surrounded by controversy even before the first ball was bowled. Many of former Australia players and the media had raised questions regarding the quality of the Nagpur pitch and raised allegations of doctoring.
India however silenced all that noise after making 400 runs in their first inning and won the match in just 3 days. Now, another controversy seems to be taking shape after the 3rd Test match venue was moved from Dharmashala to Indore.
The Indian cricket board, released a statement citing the harsh winter conditions in the region as the reason for the shift, while Australian media house FOX Cricket took a jibe at India’s ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s record in Indore.
This tweet from FOX Cricket sparked a backlash from Indian cricket fans and former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim, who criticized the media house for questioning the opposition team and the venue. “Fox Cricket always tries to do such unnecessary things. They should support their team instead of doing such things. Raising questions about the venue or the opposition team is of no use,” Karim said.
All venues should get the opportunity to host – Karim
Karim further emphasized the importance of having more Test venues in India as compared to Australia and the significance of giving opportunities to these venues to host international matches in the longest format of the game.
“India have a lot of Test venues, unlike Australia, who have just four or five Test grounds. Many states in India have created Test venues, and it is important that they get the opportunity to host matches,” he added.
Karim’s comments highlight the need for inclusivity and the rotation policy adopted by Indian Cricket Board in the allocation of matches, providing an opportunity for newer venues to host international matches. The decision to shift the third Test from Dharamsala to Indore further supports this policy, giving the opportunity to newer venues to host international matches.
The controversy surrounding the change in venue is, therefore, not just about the conditions of the stadium but also about the larger issue of inclusivity and the opportunity to develop cricketing infrastructure in different parts of the country.
India and Australia will play the second Test match of the Border- Gavaskar Trophy from February 17th in Delhi.
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