Jason Gillespie dismisses Gavaskar's 'B team can beat Pakistan' assertion
What's the story
In a recent interview, Australian cricket legend and former Pakistan coach, Jason Gillespie, strongly refuted Sunil Gavaskar's claim that India's B team could potentially defeat Pakistan.
Gavaskar made the assertion following India's decisive victory over their arch-rivals in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A clash held in Dubai.
"I don't buy this rhetoric," said Gillespie in a video shared by Pakistan journalist Saj Sadiq.
Here's more.
Strong rebuttal
Gillespie calls Gavaskar's comments 'absolute nonsense'
Gillespie dismissed Gavaskar's comments as "absolute nonsense," stressing that Pakistan have the talent to compete with any team if given enough support.
He said, "I saw some comments from Sunil Gavaskar about the Indian B team or Indian C team beating the Pakistan top team. That's nonsense. Absolute nonsense."
He further stressed that Pakistan's biggest problem is inconsistency in selection, by stating, "Pakistan need to pick and stick with the right players and give them time to shine and develop.
Management issues
Gillespie urges PCB to adopt a long-term strategy
Gillespie slammed Pakistan's squad selections and short-term coaching appointments, asking the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to go for a long-term strategy for better results.
He said, "If the PCB wants change and wants results to improve, they need to get the right people in place."
Notably, Pakistan finished at the bottom of Group A in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, losing to India and New Zealand, while their match against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain.
Coaching concerns
Gillespie criticizes short-term coaching appointments
Gillespie also slammed the PCB's way of handling coaching appointments, saying instability is holding the team back.
"Same goes with the coaches," he said. "If you're going to give a coach an opportunity, give them an opportunity to really build something meaningful."
These comments highlight Gillespie's faith in stability and long-term planning for cricketing success.
Dismal outing
Pakistan's lackluster outing in the Champions Trophy
Pakistan are hosting their first major ICC tournament since 1999, but the national team fell short of expectations.
Despite entering as defending champions, they suffered an early exit without securing a single win.
Their campaign began with a 60-run loss to New Zealand, followed by a defeat to India, where Virat Kohli's century sealed a six-wicket victory.
Meanwhile, their final group match against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain.
Twitter Post
Watch: Gillespie brushes off Gavaskar's comments
Jason Gillespie "I saw some comments from Sunil Gavaskar about the Indian B or C team would beat the Pakistan top team, that's nonsense" #CT25 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/qJQn6910st
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) March 7, 2025