Gavaskar Blasts South African Cricket Board Over Abandoned SA vs IND T20 Clash in Durban
Sunil Gavaskar said that the South African cricket board should have covered the entire stadium rather than just covering the pitch.
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar lambasted at the South African cricket board for not adequately covering the entire ground during the first T20I match between South Africa and India, leading to its abandonment due to persistent rain.
The first T20I encounter between India and South Africa, initially slated for Kingsmead, Durban, experienced a delayed toss due to rain. With no respite from the weather, the decision was made to abandon the entire match.
Here’s what Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports:
“If you leave the ground half covered, the game can’t start even if the rain stops. If it rains again, the match is called off. Every cricket board is earning a lot of money and they should think about covering the entire ground.”
“Several matches in the 2019 World Cup were abandoned because the grounds were not covered. A lot of teams lost points. South Africa was also impacted in England.”
The Initiative Was Taken By Sourav Ganguly: Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar further pointed out that cricket boards could take a leaf out of Sourav Ganguly’s book at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Unlike others, they have got the entire ground, not just the pitch, covered. It’s a smart move to quickly resume play after the rain.
“The entire Eden Gardens is covered if it starts raining in Kolkata. The initiative was taken by Sourav Ganguly when he was the president of the state cricket board. There was some issues with one of the Test matches because of rain and Ganguly made sure that mistakes are not repeated in the next game.”
The 2nd T20I of the three-match series will be played at St. George’s Park, Elizabeth on December 12.
