Australia middle-order batter Travis Head said that he was surprised at Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar’s comments regarding a rift within the Australian cricket team. Travis Head dismissed Sunil Gavaskar’s claims about bowler Josh Hazlewood being dropped for the second Test against India as “pretty funny”.
Hazlewood stirred discussions about unrest within the team by saying that batters need to be questioned in their approach to chasing a big target. A few days later, Cricket Australia announced that he would be unavailable for the second Test due to a side strain, with Scott Boland named as his replacement.
Sunil Gavaskar Believes the Panic in the Australian Ranks is Palpable
Sunil Gavaskar, in his column for Sportstar, wrote that there was tension in Australia’s dressing room, adding Josh Hazlewood’s “mysterious” injury as evidence. Gavaskar said that Hazlewood showed no signs of an issue during his media conference, where his remarks about the batters sparked debate.
Australia suffered a heavy 295-run loss to India in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Perth. When asked about Australia’s plans after the third day’s play, Hazlewood said the question should be directed to the batters. The hosts managed to score only 238 runs while chasing a massive target of 534.
I Was Surprised at Sunny’s Comments – Travis Head
During the Willow Talk podcast, Travis Head opened up about Gavaskar’s comments suggesting tension within the Australian team. Head stated that Gavaskar’s remarks were part of the “entertainment business” as a commentator.
“I was surprised at Sunny’s comments. They were pretty funny. Dropping ‘Hoff’ (Hazlewood), and throwing a couple of daggers and shooting across the bow, but who cares? It is what it is,” Travis Head said on the Willow Talk podcast (via Fox Sports).
“Everyone is paid to have an opinion. He’s in the entertainment business, as a few teams around the world would say. He’s on the commentary team. If that makes it more fun for him, then go for it,” he added.
I’ve Even Heard Mr. Gavaskar Coming Out – Ryan Harris
Former Australia pacer Ryan Harris dismissed rumors of rifts within the Australian side, labeling them as baseless. Harris emphasized that there is no politics within the Australian cricket team and added that the media exaggerated the situation due to Australia’s poor performance.
“Look, there are no, factions. That’s just all garbage. I’ve even heard Mr Gavaskar coming out and saying there’s some faction. It’s all rubbish. That doesn’t happen in Australia. I know it happens in India. I’ve lived there,” Harris told the Indian Express.
“There’s no politics and no, you don’t miss a game (On Hazlewood) for saying what he said. I’ve spoken to a couple of the boys here at and everyone’s smart. They just know our media and how they work. The Australian media have jumped on it, because we went so bad in Perth. But you’re allowed to be outplayed,” he added.
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