Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its double standards when it comes to rating the pitches. Many people think that the biggest test for a batsman is facing fast bowling on pitches with extra bounce. But Gavaskar completely disagrees.
The former Indian captain believes that the real test of a batter’s skill happens on turning pitches, where spinners make the ball grip, dip, and change direction sharply. He made these comments while discussing the first Ashes Test in Perth, where the pitch sparked a lot of conversation.
Sunil Gavaskar slams ICC for double standards on pitch ratings
The Ashes 2025-26 opener was ended inside two days at the Optus Stadium with Australia winning the Test match by eight wickets. Gavaskar felt that people often praise pitches that are fast and dangerous but complain when a surface offers turn and keeps low.
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He noted that this double standard has been around for a very long time, and even fans in the subcontinent have started believing it. Sunil Gavaskar explained that batting on turning tracks is much harder than it looks. A batter can’t survive just by playing forward or backward.
In his latest column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar wrote, “To counter spin, it is not just about playing forward or back, but also about going down the pitch to smother the turn and attack the ball. That’s where skill comes in.”
Sunil Gavaskar questions the world’s bias against spin-friendly pitches
The well-known broadcaster has pointed out that the batters must judge the ball early, use perfect footwork, and sometimes even move down the pitch to stop the ball from turning too much, and this kind of control requires far more skill and talent than facing fast bowling.
Sunil Gavaskar also pointed out that some modern batters try to counter fast bowlers by stepping out of the crease while the ball is being delivered, but that was not the method at all. He sees it as a risky, pre-planned move that works only sometimes, and it is more about luck than actual technique.
Eventually, Gavaskar made it clear that a batter can be called great only if he or she can score runs on turning pitches. If someone struggles on surfaces that offer spin, then they have not mastered the toughest challenge in batting.
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Sunil Gavaskar hits back at experts who ignore spin mastery
The former Indian captain further explained, “So, for me, playing on a turning pitch requires more talent and footwork than playing pace. That is why, if you don’t score runs on such surfaces, you are not a great batter. Their narrative that a pitch with bounce and danger to life and limb is never bad, but that a pitch where the ball turns and keeps low is a disgrace, is sadly still believed even by the complexed ones in the subcontinent.”
He also linked this argument to how batters are rated around the world. Many overseas experts believe a batter is great only if they score heavily on fast, bouncy tracks. But when a batter from outside the subcontinent struggles in turning conditions, they still get praised.
Gavaskar feels this mindset is unfair and needs to change. He signed off by saying, “They will rate a batter only if he scores tons on pacy, bouncy pitches, but if a batter from their part of the world doesn’t get a century in the subcontinent, he will still be called great.”
