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There is always the possibility of something going wrong when someone’s name is used as part of a trophy. The person could commit a crime or disgrace himself in some way that indicates he is unworthy to be given the honour of having his name up in lights.
The time has come in my opinion to reconsider the naming of the Border-Gavaskar trophy for cricket Tests between Australia and India.
Allan Border is not the problem.
He has been an exemplary sportsman, on and off the field, throughout his career. By nature and temperament a slightly dour character, Border has never said or done anything that has demeaned himself or cricket.
But the case of Sunil Gavaskar is another matter.
He has been a controversial and inaccurate commentator on the game, often making comments that are inflammatory and bordering on racist in their implications.
Example: he had to resign as ICC cricket chairman committee in May over conflict of interest concerns with his other job as a media commentator.
Example: earlier in January he claimed the ‘white’ ICC match referee Mike Proctor was biased against Indian players because of the colour of their skin.
Example: a couple of days ago he criticised ICC referees of being biased against Asian players after Zaheer Khan was correctly fined for a code of conduct breach. “Let’s not mince words here,” Gavaskar said: “Every time, it is always an Indian or a sub-continent player who gets hauled up, never the Australians.”
Cricket Australia needs to rethink the Border-Gavaskar trophy concept as a matter of urgency.
With Gavaskar showing no signs of letting up on his relentless campaign to trash Australian cricket, it’s time to take his name off the trophy.