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I stand by what I said - Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir has said he stands by the comments that earned him a reprimand from the IPL following his team's victory against Rajasthan in Delhi

Cricinfo staff
03-Apr-2010
Gautam Gambhir: "If you're looking for platitudes or banal gestures, I don't think you'll get that from me"  •  AFP

Gautam Gambhir: "If you're looking for platitudes or banal gestures, I don't think you'll get that from me"  •  AFP

Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils captain, has said he stands by the comments that earned him a reprimand from the IPL following his team's victory against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi.
"I'm going to say a few things here that might not make people happy, but I think they need to be said," Gambhir wrote in his column for Hindustan Times. "Just because the people who are reportedly upset with something I've said about a cricketing performance are starry doesn't mean I take it all back. I said what I said and I stand by it." Gambhir did plead guilty to a "level 1 offence", though.
Gambhir wrote he couldn't understand what the over-reaction was about. "For instance, people said we [Delhi] gave an ordinary performance against Mumbai and we did. But we didn't over-react or fuss about what anyone said. We picked ourselves up and raised the bar.
"I don't believe in saying things I don't mean. If you're looking for platitudes or banal gestures, I don't think you'll get that from me. I don't mean to sound arrogant, I'm not, but I also can't be a hypocrite. More pertinently, I can't be expected to get all worked up about comments made by people who have never picked up a cricket bat in their lives. If I listen to opinions seriously, it is from people who have played the game."
Gambhir had said at the post-match presentation that besides Yusuf Pathan, the rest of the Rajasthan batsmen were "ordinary ". He was later reported by IPL chairman Lalit Modi, but escaped a fine, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 50% of the match fee.