Former India coach Ravi Shastri has responded strongly to ex-England captain Michael Vaughan's remarks about the T20 World Cup scheduling allegedly favoring India. Vaughan had suggested that the organizers were biased towards India, citing Afghanistan's poor performance in the semifinal against South Africa as evidence.
Ravi Shastri Slams Michael Vaughan For India-Centric T20 World Cup Remark
In that match, Afghanistan was bowled out for just 56 runs following a historic achievement of reaching their first-ever semifinal in an ICC tournament. Vaughan highlighted that Afghanistan faced a flight delay to Trinidad, resulting in limited practice and acclimatization time.
"So Afghanistan qualified for the WC semi, winning in St Vincent on Monday night .. 4 hr flight delay on Tues to Trinidad so no time to practice or get accustomed to a new venue .. utter lack of respect to players, I am afraid," Vaughan tweeted. "Surely this semi should have been the Guyana one .. but because the whole event is geared towards India it's so unfair on others .. #T20IWorldCup."
Shastri dismissed Vaughan's accusations, stressing the strength and accomplishments of the Indian team. He advised Vaughan to focus on England's performance instead of making unfounded claims about the tournament's scheduling.
"Michael can say what he wants. Nobody in India cares. Let him sort out the England team first. He should give advice on what happened to the England team in the semifinal. India are used to lifting Cups. I know England have won twice, but India have won four times. I don't think Michael's lifted a Cup ever. So think twice. He is a colleague of mine, but that's my answer to him," Ravi Shastri said while speaking to Times Now.
Additionally, Shastri dismissed the controversy over Suryakumar Yadav's catch in the final over of the T20 World Cup against South Africa. He responded to Vaughan's comments by saying, "Sour grapes. And go and check the record books after five years. The name India will be engraved on it." Shastri's firm rebuttal highlights his disdain for Vaughan's comments and his strong defense of the Indian team and the tournament organizers.
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