T20 World Cup: Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri voiced strong reservations about the laser show staged during India’s Super 8 clash against West Indies at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Sunday.
During the brief drinks break, the stadium lights were dimmed, and a laser show illuminated the ground. The spectacle, however, did not sit well with Gavaskar and Shastri, who questioned its timing given the magnitude of the contest and the potential impact on players’ concentration and eyesight.
“The laser show during the two-and-a-half or three minutes of the drinks break… it’s not easy on the batters, or anybody for that matter. To get your eyes used to the light, to get the bright lights again, you have darkness around you,” Gavaskar said on commentary.
“You have a laser thing going on. This is the World Cup. And for two and a half minutes, do you need this kind of entertainment? In the IPL, it’s fine in the middle of the IPL. Not in the knockouts, but in the middle of the IPL, that is fine. But at the moment here, in the World Cup, do we need these laser shows in the middle of the drinks break, at the drinks interval?” he added.
Shastri echoed those concerns, highlighting the challenge players face in regaining focus after such interruptions. “And from the players’ point of view, to switch back on, is never easy. It’s serious stuff,” he said.
“You have a laser thing going on. This is the World Cup. And for two and a half minutes, do you need this kind of entertainment? In the IPL, it’s fine in the middle of the IPL. Not in the knockouts, but in the middle of the IPL, that is fine. But at the moment here, in the World Cup, do we need these laser shows in the middle of the drinks break, at the drinks interval?” he added.
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The game finally ended in India’s favour as the hosts clinched a five-wicket win riding on Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97-run knock. The Men in Blue will continue their title defense against England in the second semi-final on March 5.