When Sunil Gavaskar took a dig at John Buchanan

Sunil Gavaskar’s scepticism of foreign coaches is well-known. Among those he finds overrated include John Buchanan, the maverick, new age coach of Australia from 1999-2007. The team was unbeatable under Buchanan, winning 16 consecutive Tests and two World Cups. However, some experts like Gavaskar attributed the team’s success more to the presence of great players like Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Recent ly, Michael Clarke, the retired Australian captain, disparaged Buchanan in his Ashes Diary 2015.

"I don’t think John knows a thing about the baggy green (the Australian team cap), having never worn one," Clarke said in response to Buchanan’s earlier criticism of his. "He’s still living off the fact that he coached a team that anyone, even my dog Jerry, could have coached to world domination."

Clarke’s views appear to have tickled Gavaskar.In his column in a weekend paper, the former India captain seemed to rub it into Buchanan. Writing in the context of Rahul Dravid helping out Cheteshwar Pujara with his batting stance, Gavaskar wrote, "…that is why it is the guys who have done it before are the best teachers and not some bookworm who talks a good corporate management language. If you don’t believe me, ask Michael Clarke.".