Sunil Gavaskar has taken a swipe at Gautam Gambhir, drawing a comparison to his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a massive cash reward for the Champions Trophy-winning team. The BCCI allocated a total of Rs. 58 crore, with each of the 15 players and head coach Gambhir set to receive Rs. 3 crore, while assistant coaches and support staff will be awarded Rs. 50 lakh each. Additionally, BCCI officials will receive Rs. 25 lakh each.
Praising the BCCI for its generosity, Gavaskar highlighted how the board has consistently rewarded players and support staff for their achievements. “Now, after our boys won the Champions Trophy, the BCCI announced a whopping Rs 58 crore for the squad and the support staff and selection committee. In July last year, after the stirring victory in the ICC T20 World Cup, the BCCI announced Rs 125 crore for the squad, support staff, and selectors. This is truly fantastic, as the Board, which is now awash with funds, is showing its appreciation for the efforts put in by everybody and rewarding them generously. The BCCI is also letting the players keep the prize money that the ICC announced for the winners, which is also a good amount each,” Gavaskar wrote in a column for Sportstar.
However, while appreciating the BCCI’s decision, Gavaskar questioned Gambhir’s stance on the reward, recalling how Dravid had handled a similar situation. Following India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year, the then-head coach reportedly declined a higher amount and requested the BCCI to distribute his share equally among all coaching staff members. Gavaskar pointed out that Gambhir has not made a similar gesture.
“After the ICC T20 World Cup win and the Board announcement of prize money, the then-coach Rahul Dravid, ever the team man, refused to accept more than his fellow members of the coaching staff and, in fact, shared it equally with his colleagues. It’s been a fortnight since the BCCI announced the Champions Trophy rewards, but we haven’t heard anything from the current coach on whether he will also do a Dravid. Or is it that Dravid, in this instance, is not a good role model?” he remarked.
Gavaskar’s remarks suggest he believes Gambhir should follow Dravid’s example by ensuring an equitable distribution of rewards among coaching staff. Whether the current head coach will respond to the criticism or take a similar step remains to be seen.
