'This Is Some Popatwadi Team': Sunil Gavaskar Slams Pakistan After India’s Dominant Victory
Sunil Gavaskar criticises Pakistan's Asia Cup performance in Dubai, calling it their weakest side ever after India chased 127 with ease.
Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has said that Pakistan’s display in the Asia Cup game on Sunday, September 14, in Dubai, made him feel that this was one of their weakest teams ever, as Pakistan meekly surrendered and failed to decipher the Indian spinners.
Watching Pakistan crumble to a meagre 127/9, with India chasing down the target well before the death overs, Gavaskar delivered a scathing assessment.
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Speaking on the official post-match broadcast, Gavaskar remarked that Pakistan’s performance was a stark contrast to the proud legacy of their cricketing history.
“I don’t know whether Ajay [Jadeja], Irfan [Pathan] and Veeru (Sehwag) will agree with me or not. But I have been watching Pakistan’s team since 1960, when I used to run from Churchgate station to Brabourne Stadium to see Hanif Mohammad saab and this time in this game, for the first time after years, I felt that this isn’t Pakistan’s team, this is some Popatwadi team," Gavaskar said.
In cricket slang from India, especially Mumbai, “Popatwadi" refers to a side with weak, ordinary, or useless players.
Gavaskar’s harsh critique followed a dismal showing by Pakistan’s batters, who appeared out of depth against India’s spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy.
The trio were immaculate in terms of line and length as none of the Pakistan batters showed the wherewithal to play the troika from their hands.
The result was a lowly 127/9 from Pakistan, which was at least 50 runs below the par score. In reply, Abhishek Sharma (31 off 13 balls) flayed their biggest bowling hope, Shaheen Shah Afridi (0/23 in 2 overs), with utter disdain, while captain Suryakumar Yadav celebrated his 35th birthday with a fine 47 not out off 37 deliveries in a chase that was completed before the death overs.
Suryakumar finished it off in style and then walked straight back to the dug-out without shaking hands with the Pakistan cricketers on the field.