Sunil Gavaskar silences critics chattering around Wankhede pitch change controversy ahead of India vs New Zealand semi-final clash

The first semi-final of the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup is being played between India and New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on November 15. However, controversy arose as a UK news outlet alleged last-minute pitch alteration by the Indian Cricket Board, citing dissatisfaction from the Indian team with the initial surface.

Meanwhile, former cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has unequivocally criticized the uproar surrounding the pitch. Gavaskar, renowned for his forthright opinions, lambasted the controversy as unnecessary chatter, emphasizing that such distractions should not overshadow the players’ skills and the essence of the game. 

“The pitch is there for all the teams, so I don’t think there should be too much discussion on what this pitch will do or not do. I do believe that this Indian team is perfectly capable of handling any kind of surface.” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Cricket One.

I don’t think any noise should be made at all Sunil Gavaskar

The initial plan was to utilize pitch 7, a pristine and unused track, for the crucial encounter. However, a sudden decision diverted the focus to pitch 6, already employed in two league matches of the tournament. The report suggested that this switch was a strategic move to favor the Indian spinners in their quest for victory against New Zealand. However, Gavaskar urged fans and experts to shift their attention back to the sport as he believes that the news outlet is just filling their columns.

“I think this is typical, you know, on the eve of the match when you have nothing to write about and then, you know, you try to say something because you want to fill in your columns, you want to talk about pitches and stuff like that. To me, it doesn’t make a difference. If the pitch changes after the toss, they certainly have a conversation. But if the pitch is the same before the toss, I don’t think any noise should be made at all.” he added.