Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri livid at ICC’s mid-match activity during India-West Indies match: ‘This is the World Cup’

Former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri have unequivocally criticised the laser show during India's innings at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Sunday night.

Chasing 196 runs to win in what was a virtual quarterfinal against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup, India were 53/2 at the end of the powerplay when the thousands of spectators at the Eden Gardens were treated to a laser show.

At the end of the powerplay, the Indians were in a spot of bother, if truth be told, having lost Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan without much contribution. And make no mistake it was a high-intensity contest where any lapse in concentration could have cost the Indians dear.

Also Read: Sanju Samson brings heaven on earth with godly knock, a decade of existential crisis ends with India’s semi-final berth

Believe it or not, the laser show went on for almost three minutes in a pitch-dark stadium. Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav would have struggled to adjust to the floodlights when they came back on after the entertaining show, on display for spectators and spectators only.

Gavaskar and Shastri make no bones about the situation!

Gavaskar and Shastri, who were in the commentary box at that time, didn't hide their displeasure at the development. “The laser show during the two-and-a-half or three minutes of the drinks break… it’s not easy on the batters, or anybody for that matter. To get your eyes used to the light, to get the bright lights again, you have darkness around you,” Gavaskar said.

Gavaskar pursued the matter: “You have a laser thing going on. This is the World Cup. And for two and a half minutes, do you need this kind of entertainment? In the Indian Premier League, it’s fine in the middle of the IPL. Not in the knockouts, but in the middle of the IPL, that is fine. But at the moment here, in the World Cup, do we need these laser shows in the middle of the drinks break, at the drinks interval?”

Shastri endorsed his former captain straight away and also added his two cents to the matter at hand: “And from the players’ point of view, to switch back on, is never easy. It’s serious stuff.”

Although India went on to chase down the target to set up a semifinal clash against England, both the former players were spot on with their remarks. The International Cricket Council should ensure going forward that such a faux pas is not repeated.

Click here to read article