IND vs AUS: Former Australia Captains Criticize CA For Snubbing Sunil Gavaskar From BGT Presentation Ceremony

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Former Australia captains Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke have criticized Cricket Australia (CA) for their snub of India legend Sunil Gavaskar during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy presentation ceremony on Sunday (January 5).

Allan Border handed over the trophy to Australia captain Pat Cummins after the home side registered a 6-wicket win in the fifth Test in Sydney, which also sealed the series 3-1, helping the hosts regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years.

Gavaskar was at the Sydney Cricket Ground when the presenation ceremony took place, but the India great was not even invited to the stage despite his name being associated with the coveted trophy.

The Indian legend expressed his unhappiness after being snubbed, and now the former Australia captains have also weighed in on the matter, saying, they can understand why it offended Gavaskar and added that Cricket Australia made a oversight.

CA had planned for Gavaskar to hand over the trophy to Jasprit Bumrah if India had won the Sydney Test, and Border to do the honours if Australia won the series, which they eventually did.

Clarke has said that the plan would not have been a surprise to Gavaskar or Border, but the decision didn't make sense and both legends should have been on the stage, handing over the trophy to whoever won.

"I just think Cricket Australia missed a trick. Now, I know a lot of people don't know that it was planned before this year started that if India were to win, Sunny would present the trophy. If Australia were to win, Alan Border would present the trophy. So it wasn't a surprise to those two guys. But to me, it just doesn't make sense," Clarke said on ESPN's Around The Wicket.

"No matter who won, in my opinion, they both should have walked out. They both should have been on stage. They both should have presented the trophy. I think we're very lucky to have both AB and Sunny in the country commentating at the right time. You don't get that very often.

"You know, both legends of the game that the trophy is named after are still around and are in the country at the same time. So I just think we missed a trick there. I think it sounds to me that it obviously offended Sunny as well. And I can understand why. I just think they both should have been on that stage presenting that trophy, no matter who won."

Another former Australian skipper Finch also echoed Clarke's statements, saying it may be an oversight, but the trophy should be presented by whoever it is named after.

"Yeah, and probably just an oversight. You're obviously looking down the track and saying, well, whoever wins that, whoever's named after the trophy, they should present it. But like Pup (Michael Clarke) said, I totally agree. Both should have been there. Cricket Australia definitely missed a trick there," Finch said.