Brad Haddin breaks silence on being slammed by Sunil Gavaskar for questioning Shreyas Iyer’s Asia Cup snub

Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin has hit back at the legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar for criticizing overseas cricketers for giving opinions on Indian selections, most recently on the Asia Cup 2025 squad.

Sunil Gavaskar had recently questioned why former overseas stars were opining on India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad instead of focusing on issues in their own countries.

The former Indian captain’s comments came after several former cricketers from Australia, South Africa, and England shared their thoughts on some of India’s bold calls for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, especially the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from the 15-member squad.

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Shreyas Iyer's Asia Cup 2025 snub sparks war of words between Sunil Gavaskar and Brad Haddin

Brad Haddin, who worked with Shreyas Iyer earlier this year as the Punjab Kings’ assistant coach on the IPL 2025, was among those who were also surprised by their captain’s snub. This didn’t sit well with Gavaskar, and he questioned their authority in commenting on Indian cricket.

Even Gavaskar pointed out that many people try to gain attention by making remarks about Indian cricket on social media.

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He noted that negative comments bring the biggest reactions from Indian fans, which helps those individuals grow their popularity and followers on social media. He also suggested that anyone who can handle the criticism benefits even more.

Foreigners with no stake in Indian cricket: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for The Sportstar: “Foreigners with no stake in Indian cricket and little knowledge about it wade into the debate, adding fuel to the fire. However great they may be as players and however many times they may have been to India, the selection of the Indian team is strictly none of their business. They should focus on their country’s cricket and let us Indians worry about our cricket.”

Now, Haddin responded to Gavaskar’s remarks in a sarcastic fashion. The former Australian cricketer has pointed out that their job as analysts is to discuss major cricketing topics around the world, especially when it involves players he has worked with closely.

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I am glad he is listening to the show: Brad Haddin fires back at Sunil Gavaskar

The commentator reiterated that his surprise wasn’t meant to discredit the players who made the Asia Cup 2025 squad but rather to highlight Iyer’s value. He mentioned how Iyer impressed him during the IPL 2025, not only with his batting but also with his leadership qualities under pressure, so he still felt the PBKS skipper should have been picked in the Asia Cup 2025 squad.

Brad Haddin said on the LiSTNR Sport YouTube channel, “I am glad he is listening to the show. We are going worldwide. Our job is to give an opinion on what's topical in world cricket. That's what we do. We coached him (Iyer) in the IPL, and I stand by my take.”

The Aussie coach Brad Haddin further added, “I was shocked that he wasn't in the squad, and I am not saying the other players (selected) shouldn't be there. The reason I say that is because of just the way he handled our group; he was a great leader, and the way he played under pressure, leading from the front. But, yeah, they are obviously going well even with players like him on the sideline.”