NEW DELHI: The calls to boycott the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan are growing louder, with Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir now facing a serious allegation from former batter Manoj Tiwary. He launched a scathing attack on Gambhir, calling him a "hypocrite" for playing against Pakistan.
"I always felt that he's someone who is a hypocrite," Manoj Tiwary told CrickTracker.
Tiwary pointed out that Gambhir, before becoming coach, had publicly argued that India should never play against Pakistan. Now, however, as coach, Gambhir is preparing to lead the team into exactly such a match in the Asia Cup.
"He's a hypocrite because he's the one who said that India, when he was not the coach of Team India, should never play against Pakistan. What will he do now? He's the coach of the team that's going to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Why can't he just resign and say that I will not be part of Team India because you are playing with Pakistan?"
Tiwary also criticised Gambhir for overlooking Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Asia Cup squad.
"He (Gambhir) was the one who said that Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of the players who is the future of Team India, and also someone who should not be kept out of T20 cricket. He should be given a longer run. And now, he's not there in the team," Tiwary said.
"So, apart from these couple of statements, there are many things he said and then did the exact opposite. I always felt that he's a hypocrite, and he's always been a hypocrite," he added.
The Asia Cup will be staged in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 28, with eight teams split into two groups. Group A features India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.
India will open their campaign against the UAE on September 10 in Dubai, before locking horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in a much-anticipated clash on September 14 at the same venue. Their final group-stage fixture is set for September 19 in Abu Dhabi, where they will face Oman.
