"Some of them can't stomach the fees for which some of the Indian players are bought" - Sunil Gavaskar blasts England players' attitude
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar blasted the English players for their attitude and felt their verbal clashes with Indian players come from going for a much lesser price at the IPL auctions over the years.
While the likes of Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, and Jos Buttler, among others, have been purchased by franchises for whopping amounts, the English players have remained in the minority compared to those from the other top-ranked nations.
In his column for The Sportstar after the recent India-England Test series, Gavaskar felt the animosity between the sides stems from the English players' inability to digest their Indian counterparts going for much more in the auction.
"Some of them can't stomach the fees for which some of the Indian players are bought and compare their achievements at the international level when the IPL auction dynamics can be so volatile and hard to explain or even understand. So you see more lip in the India-England encounters than in any other India match. That's why the pleasure of beating England is always greater," wrote Gavaskar.
"That is also the reason why the England and Indian players get into verbal skirmishes so often when they are playing against each other. Not a lot of England players are picked in the IPL, mainly because they can be withdrawn by their Board anytime for a preparation camp or something, which leaves the franchises in a lurch," he added.
The 2024 IPL season will be without several big names from England, including Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, both pulling out of the tournament.
"Great fun to watch a young India team demolish an England team" - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar expressed his delight at Team India dominating and beating England in the recently concluded five-match Test series.
After losing the series opener in Hyderabad, the hosts bounced back with four consecutive wins to triumph by a 4-1 margin.
"What a walloping, what great fun to watch a young India team demolish an England team that had arrived in India with the usual 'we are doing you a favor' attitude that brings a smirk on the faces of those Indian officials who go to receive them at various airports," wrote Gavaskar.
It was India's 17th consecutive Test series win at home, dating back to 2013, and England's first series defeat since Ben Stokes became permanent captain in mid-2022.
The series result also meant India sits pretty on top of the World Test Championship table, while England are second from the bottom, ahead of only Sri Lanka.