Sunil Gavaskar has mocked Harry Brook's dismissal against Afghanistan yesterday (February 26), referencing Brook's own comments about smog during England's previous series in India.
England crashed out of the Champions Trophy in Lahore in a nail-biting loss to Afghanistan. In a chase of 326, Brook came in when England were 98-3 and in need of a big partnership. After making it unbeaten to 25 off 20 balls, Brook gave a soft caught and bowled chance to Mohammad Nabi, who snapped up the catch easily. His dismissal left England 133-4, and England were eventually bowled out for 317 in the final over of the game.
Gavaskar: I hope the Lahore lights are fine?
Following the defeat, Gavaskar, speaking on a reaction TV show, said: "I just saw Harry Brook's dismissal. Are the lights in Lahore ok or not? Because when he played in Kolkata, he said that he couldn't see the ball properly because of smog. That's why I'm asking. I hope the Lahore lights are fine? Because the catching practice he gave to get out… I don't know."
What a win for Afghanistan! 🇦🇫
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 26, 2025
They've won an all-time ODI classic in Lahore by eight runs to knock England out of the Champions Trophy! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/C7dfWoCGYS
The India great's comments reference a response to a press conference question from Brook during England's tour of India earlier this month. After they lost the first T20I of five in that series, having been spun out by Varun Chakravarthy, Brook said the smog in Kolkata had exacerbated the difficulty in picking the spinner.
"He's tough to pick. I think actually with the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick as well," said Brook. "Hopefully, the air is a bit clearer here [Chennai] and we can see the ball a bit easier."
Read more: Butcher: England's ‘arrogance’ is why everyone loves seeing them lose
Brook was criticised after his comments by notable names in the game including Kevin Pietersen, and was bowled by Chakravarthy in the second T20I in Chennai. England lost that five-match T20I series 4-1, and lost the subsequent ODI series 3-0. Their Champions Trophy exit is their third consecutive disappointing result in an ICC white-ball tournament, after the 2023 50-over World Cup and last year's T20 World Cup.
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