Team India Criticized for ‘Dubai’ Claim; Jaffer Reminds Critics of 2023 World Cup

Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton sparked controversy earlier this week by claiming that the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team has an “undeniable advantage” of playing all its matches at one venue during the 2025 Champions Trophy. Their comments left the Indian cricket fraternity furious.

The Indian government did not permit the national team to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, leading the BCCI to propose a hybrid model with Dubai as the neutral venue for all of India’s matches. Speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast, Hussain and Atherton argued that playing at one venue gave India an advantage, as they would not have to travel or consider team selection based on varying conditions.

Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer ridiculed the statement, suggesting that to appease the critics, the Indian team should have checked into different hotels for their matches. “Just to make these guys happy, the ICC should have probably played India one game in Sharjah and one game in Abu Dhabi and probably allowed them to check into another hotel. Then, this topic wouldn’t have come up,” Jaffer said.

Jaffer emphasized that India’s decision not to travel to Pakistan was due to political reasons, and every country has the right to make such choices. He pointed out that without India’s participation, the tournament would not be the same.

Reflecting on the 2023 ODI World Cup, Jaffer reminded Hussain and Atherton that the Indian team played matches at nine different venues and did not complain about the extensive travel. During the home ICC tournament, India was the only team to play in nine venues without consecutive matches in a single city, covering 12,874 kilometres over 35 days. Jaffer noted that despite the challenges, the Indian players and experts did not voice any complaints.

“Eventually, you have to play good cricket to win tournaments and lift the trophy,” Jaffer said.

The 20th season of Roadies is currently underway, with Prince Narula and Elvish Yadav serving as gang leaders on the show. The reconciliation between the two has been well-received by their fans and followers, who are glad to see the camaraderie between the two restored.

Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.