Sunil Gavaskar responds to Hussain, Atherton’s criticism over India’s Champions Trophy venue

Former Indian cricket star Sunil Gavaskar has fired back at former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton for repeatedly criticizing India’s decision to play all its ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai. Due to political reasons, the Indian team did not travel to Pakistan, which is hosting the tournament.  

Hussain and Atherton believe India has an "undeniable" advantage by staying at one venue, while other teams must adjust to different conditions as they travel between cities. England captain Jos Buttler and South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen also joined the discussion.  

However, with England now out of the semi-final race after losses to Australia and Afghanistan, Gavaskar questioned why former England cricketers were so focused on India instead of their own team’s struggles.  
"I think these are all wise and experienced people. Why don’t you actually look at why your team has not qualified?" Gavaskar asked.  

"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," he added.  

He stressed that results are important, especially when representing a country.  

"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," he said.  

Gavaskar also dismissed the ongoing criticism, saying it was unnecessary.  

"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 remarked.  

He further pointed out India’s major role in world cricket, not just in performance but also financially.  

"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," he stated.  

"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 concluded.  

India remains the only team playing all its matches in Dubai after the Indian government denied permission to travel to Pakistan.  

Hussain and Atherton believe this gives India an unfair advantage, but England also played both their games at the same venue (Lahore) and will only travel to Karachi for their last group-stage match against South Africa.  

Other teams, including Australia and Afghanistan, have also played two out of their three group-stage matches at a single venue, making India’s situation not as unusual as some suggest.