3 Former cricketers who trolled Ian Healy for his "fair wickets" remark
Australia are known for the mind games they play ahead of an important series, and former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy's statement about Indian pitches ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the latest installment.
There has been a lot of talk about pitches produced in India ever since they beat England 3-1 in a Test series at home in 2021. Many former cricketers have expressed their opinions about the conditions, with some supporting the rank turners, while others have claimed it isn't in the spirit of Test cricket.
As India and Australia prepare to lock horns in Nagpur on Thursday for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ian Healy was asked to predict the winners of the series. Here's what he had to say:
"I think if they produce fair Indian wickets, that are good batting wickets, to start with, (that) probably spin and spin pretty consistently but spin a long way, late in the match … we (Australia) win. I'm worried about (Mitchell) Starc and (Nathan) Lyon in the first Test … if they're unfair wickets which I've seen in the last series, where balls were jumping ridiculously and sliding down low from day one, I think India play those conditions better than us."
Unsurprisingly, these comments haven't gone down well with supporters of Indian cricket. They feel that if India have to deal with green pitches when they travel overseas, it's not unfair for them to use their home conditions to their advantage.
Apart from fans, certain former cricketers also took a dig at Ian Healy for his comments.
#3 Salman Butt
Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt is active on his YouTube channel and doesn't shy away from giving his honest opinions. After hearing Ian Healy's comments, he claimed that if teams from the subcontinent play on tough tracks away from home, then visiting teams shouldn't complain about the pitches they get.
Butt said:
"When subcontinent teams travel to Australia, they don't complain about the pitches. They don't say there's extra bounce in Perth and that it's unfair. There are different home conditions and you have to get used to those. Teams face difficulties in Perth, likewise they also face problems against spin. So, you shouldn't talk about what's fair or unfair. The pitch is giving results."
Salman Butt didn't hold back, adding that foreign cricketers have a habit of criticizing the pitch when their team is unable to adapt. He added:
"Ye aadat bhi hai. Unko samajh naa aaye toh fair nahi hota (It's their habit. If the pitch is difficult to play and they fail to understand it, they call it unfair)."
#2 Venkatesh Prasad
So Australia prepared unfair pitches against India in 2018-19 and 2020-21 to lose both test series at their home . twitter.com/wercricket/sta…
Former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad is another former cricketer who responded to Healy's comments. He slammed Ian Healy's statement by asking whether Australia's loss in their own den in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 Test series against India was due to their incompetence or due to unfair pitches.
Here's what he tweeted sarcastically:
"So Australia prepared unfair pitches against India in 2018-19 and 2020-21 to lose both test series at their home."
#1 Wasim Jaffer
Pretty sure India didn't prepare wickets in Australia in 2020-21 and 2018-19, Mr. Healy :) #INDvAUS #BorderGavaskarTrophy twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra…
Wasim Jaffer is arguably one of the wittiest former cricketers on Twitter and has criticized many such comments made about Indian cricket. It was only a matter of time before he responded to Ian Healy's statement.
Here's how he trolled Healy with an epic one-liner:
"Pretty sure India didn't prepare wickets in Australia in 2020-21 and 2018-19, Mr. Healy :) #INDvAUS #BorderGavaskarTrophy"
With shots being fired by former cricketers from both countries, fans will hope the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 delivers on the field as well.