The ex-cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir launched a fierce attack on India’s cricket industry on Sunday.
He criticized the fans for their alleged “individualism,” former teammates and international players, media, public relations, and marketing firms.
India lost to Australia by 209 runs at the Oval, marking nearly ten years since they last won an ICC championship—the 2013 Champions Trophy, which they won by defeating England in Birmingham.
In a recent TV interview, Gautam Gambhir made some forceful remarks
The three strongest quotes from the interview are as follows:
1. Because we are “individual-obsessed,” Gautam Gambhir said, India hasn’t won an ICC trophy in a very long time.
Perhaps his explanation of why India hasn’t won an ICC trophy since 2013 was the most important statement.
He described India as an “individual-obsessed country” where nobody puts the team first and the entire ecosystem functions like a PR firm for a select few players, denoting it as an unspoken truth.
According to Gambhir, who spoke to News18, “A lot of people won’t say this, but this is the truth. I think I should say it because it should be brought to the attention of the world. Our country is not a team-obsessed country, but an individual-obsessed country.”
“We value people more than we value teams. In other nations like England, Australia, and New Zealand, the team is more important than the individual.
Every stakeholder in Indian cricket, including the media and the broadcaster, has been boiled down to a PR firm. If the media won’t give you the credit, you’ll always be undervalued.
The most important truth is this. We haven’t won an ICC tournament for so long because of our obsession with specific players, he continued.
2. According to Gautam Gambhir, “PR and Money doesn’t really matter to the extent that you would do a pan masala advertisement.
Gambhir also claimed that narratives about cricket are significantly impacted by PR and marketing firms that work with players and teams.
Despite the fact that India’s victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup were the result of a team effort, he claimed that players like Yuvraj Singh don’t receive enough credit because “one individual” is typically portrayed as the most important.
“No one is underrated; everything is PR and marketing. The winners of the 2007 and 2011 World Cups have been announced, but the team as a whole, not a single person, took home the trophy in each case. Large tournaments are impossible for one person to win. If so, India would have won five to ten World Cups, he said.
“One individual,” though he didn’t specifically name or accuse him, is a thinly veiled jab at MS Dhoni’s notoriety.
Gambhir has frequently criticized Indian supporters for their “obsession” with Dhoni’s decisive six at Wankhede Stadium in 2011.
3. Gautam Gambhir declares that it is disgusting and disappointing that cricket players appear in advertisements for pan masala brands.
Gambhir also criticized former teammate Virender Sehwag and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar for supporting a pan masala brand during IPL 2023.
Pan masala is a cheap but carcinogenic concoction of betel nut, lime, catechu, and flavoring agents.
As a failure as a role model, Gambhir described it as disgusting, disappointing, and awful.
“It’s disappointing because I only say one thing again: Choose your role models carefully. The work itself is what counts, not the name. Your reputation comes from your work, not from your name.”
“Money doesn’t really matter to the extent that you would do a pan masala advertisement. There are many ways to make money.”
Gambhir also cited Sachin Tendulkar as an example, saying that Tendulkar turned down a lucrative offer because he had promised his late father that he would never advocate for pan masala or tobacco.
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