Gavaskar Apologises For Comments About Warne
Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has issued a public apology over remarks made over recently departed Australian great Shane Warne.
When asked during an interview whether he regarded Warne to have been the game’s best spin bowler of all time, the player-turned-pundit replied that he believed this particular honour to belong instead to several Indian spinners and to Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan.
Gavaskar also referred to Warne’s record against India, saying how this had been “ordinary”. He said since Warne failed to achieve much success against Indian greats, he would not go as far as calling him the best or the greatest.
Even though Sri Lanka’s Muralitharan topped his career with more wickets than the Australian, with 800 as opposed to 708, Warne is still regarded by many as cricket’s greatest spin bowler.
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Perhaps important to note within the context of Gavaskar’s comments, is the fact that against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Warne managed to take 17 wickets in a total of 3 games played. Muralitharan, by comparison, took 176 wickets in 25 matches.
While Gavaskar’s comments weren’t unfounded, many questioned his timing following Warne’s passing on Friday of a heart attack. The cricketing great has however now posted a video to social media in which he apologises for his poor and insensitive timing.
Gavaskar said he realises in hindsight that the question about Warne should never have been asked, nor should it have been answered by him. He also conceded that Warne was in fact one of the game’s greatest players and representatives.
