Gavaskar Reveals Cricket's Most Controversial Moments and the Day He Sat Out Laps 'in Spirit' Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border shared candid memories of cricket’s most talked-about incidents during a conversation on the MidWicket Stories YouTube channel, including the iconic 1981 Melbourne walkoff, a fiery on-field spat with umpire Shakoor Rana, and a string of personal anecdotes spanning three decades. The discussion, hosted by former elite umpire Simon Taufel, offered a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes drama of cricket’s golden era. Gavaskar recounted the Melbourne walkoff, a moment that remains etched in cricket history. He revealed that wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani inadvertently triggered the event by using the word “walkoff” the day before. When a stumping appeal against Border was referred to the square leg umpire, Kirmani had threatened to walk off himself if the decision was not out. His words stayed with Gavaskar, who later used the term during a critical moment in the same match. Gavaskar, already walking off after being given out LBW to Dennis Lillee, was abused by Australian players, prompting him to turn back and signal to batting partner Chetan Chauhan to leave with him. Border, who was at the crease, admitted the decision against Gavaskar was debatable, calling it “a bit of a dodgy decision.” The conversation also touched on Gavaskar’s tense encounter with umpire Shakoor Rana during a Pakistan tour. Gavaskar recalled how Rana snapped back when he confronted him about a controversial decision. “He said, you don’t tell me what to do,” Gavaskar said, adding that he responded in Hindi with a Punjabi pronunciation of Ben Stokes, a phrase Sarfraz Nawaz had used during the match. The next morning, Rana refused to take the field unless Gavaskar apologized, delaying the start of the match.#sunil_gavaskar #allan_border #simon_taufel #syed_kirmani #shakoor_rana
