NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer
Basit Ali
criticized Australian spinner Nathan Lyon for his bold prediction regarding the outcome of the upcoming
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
(BGT) series between Australia and India.
Lyon, during an appearance on the Willow Talk podcast, confidently forecasted a 5-0 victory for Australia in the series, a statement that Basit Ali found inappropriate for a player of his stature.
Ali expressed his views on his YouTube channel, suggesting that such bold claims are better suited to former cricketers or analysts rather than current players.
"I will only say one thing about Nathan Lyon's stupid statement that Australia will defeat India by six Tests, but only by words. In the past two series, India have dominated Australia. Such comments don't suit cricketers. Ricky Ponting or former cricketers can make such statements. I request Ashwin to reply back and say that India will defeat Australia by 5-0," said Basit.
Meanwhile, Australian batsman Travis Head shared his perspective on the challenges of facing the Indian cricket team.
In an interview with Star Sports, Head acknowledged the difficulty of playing against the Rohit Sharma-led side, despite having been in good form in recent encounters.
"I don't feel like they're my favourite. I just feel like we play them enough, play them lots. And, I guess, the last couple of years, I've been in nice form. So yeah, being able to play well, it's always nice. It's not hard to get up for the contest. It's hugely competitive. Yeah, it's easier to get up for the game. So I wouldn't say they're my favourites," Head said.
The Border-Gavaskar series is set to begin on November 22, with the first Test match taking place in Perth.
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