Ex-Australian pacer slams Gavaskar over viral Hazlewood comment

Former Australia pacer Ryan Harris has slammed Sunil Gavaskar’s viral comment about Josh Hazlewood‘s absence from the second AUS v IND Test.

While Australia have mentioned that the pacer suffered a side strain after the first game, the former Indian batter claimed that his exclusion was the result of a rift in the Australian dressing room.

His comment came on the back of a viral statement the Australian pacer gave after they were put to chase a mammoth target of 534.

Following the proceedings of Day 3’s play of the first AUS v IND Test, Josh Hazlewood was asked about how the team planned to approach the game.

Hazlewood responded by saying, “You probably have to ask one of the batters that question. I’m sort of relaxing and trying to get a bit of physio and a bit of treatment, and I’m probably looking mostly towards the next Test and what plans we can do against these batters.”

Taking hints from Josh Hazlewood’s viral statement, Sunil Gavaskar, in a column, said that the mysterious injury of the pacer was enough to confirm the unrest stories.

However, the former Indian batter’s comment did not sit well with former Australian pacer Ryan Harris who termed it ‘rubbish.’

“There are no groups and such statements are garbage. I heard what Sunil Gavaskar said. It is all rubbish. I know it happens in India but not in Australia,” he said in an interview with an Indian media outlet.

“Players don’t play politics and you can’t leave out a player for his statement. All the players are aware of how our media works. It was blown out of proportion because we lost badly against India. But it happens in sports,” Ryan Harris added.

It is noteworthy here that India lead the five-match AUS v IND series 1-0 after hammering Australia by 295 runs in the first test at Perth Stadium.