"Don’t need players who are partly here and partly elsewhere" - Indian legend urges BCCI to get strict and stop pampering cricketers

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to stop being admirers of players and take strict measures to bring Indian cricket back on track. Reacting to India's 3-1 Test series defeat in Australia, Gavaskar opined that only players fully committed to the team's cause must be selected for national duty.

Having been thumped 3-0 at home by New Zealand, India raised hopes of a good showing Down Under by winning the opening Test in Perth by 295 runs. However, the visitors lost three of the next four games to concede the covered Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Speaking after India's six-wicket defeat in the fifth and final Test in Sydney on Sunday, January 5, Gavaskar opined that the BCCI must identify and back only those cricketers who are committed to the team. He told India Today:

“I think the next 8–10 days are crucial for Indian cricket to take a good, honest look at itself. Most importantly, the star culture has to end. Total commitment to Indian cricket is non-negotiable. Players must make themselves available every single time unless there’s a genuine medical emergency. If someone isn’t fully committed, they shouldn’t be considered for selection."

The 75-year-old batting legend expressed disappointment over India not reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final and asked for much better commitment from players going forward.

“We don’t need players who are partly here and partly elsewhere. It’s time to stop pampering anyone. The recent results have been disappointing—we should have been in the World Test Championship final but didn’t make it," Gavaskar said.

“The cricket board needs to stop acting like admirers and put their foot down. They must tell the players that Indian cricket comes first. It’s either a full commitment to Indian cricket or other priorities—you can’t have it both ways. If Indian cricket is your priority, only then should you be selected,” the former India captain concluded.

Incidentally, Indian captain Rohit Sharma missed the first Test of the series to be with his family for the birth of his second child. He played the next three Tests but managed only 31 runs in five innings and opted out of the last Test.

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Bumrah the lone warrior as India suffer 3-1 loss

Team India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the standout performer for the visitors in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was the Player of the Series for claiming 32 wickets at an average of 13.06, with three five-fers and two four-fers to his credit. There was precious little from the other big names.

Apart from Rohit, Virat Kohli also had a poor tour, managing only 190 runs in nine innings. Keeper-batter Rishabt Pant scored 255 runs with a solitary half-century, while KL Rahul finished with 276 from 10 innings at a disappointing average of 30.67.

Yashasvi Jaiswal impressed with 391 runs from 10 innings, while Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed 298 runs, which included a hundred in Melbourne.