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BASSETERRE, St Kitts - Glenn McGrath said today Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar's comments about the death of David Hookes had "crossed the line" while Australian Cricket World Cup teammate Brad Hodge was also fuming.
"Fair enough, if that's what he thinks, he's allowed to comment on the team," McGrath said today.
"But I think when you start bringing David Hookes into it that's crossing the line.
"It's very disrespectful. Sunny was an amazing cricketer, but I think this time he's gone beyond."
McGrath indicated today that Gavaskar's relationship with Australian cricket could be damaged by his ongoing outbursts.
"I think potentially it could be, we'll wait and see. The comments in themselves are very disappointing when he's mentioning David Hookes and you really feel for Hookesy's family," McGrath said.
Gavaskar recently described Ricky Ponting's men as "unpopular" winners because of "awful" on-field behaviour.
And he raised more eyebrows this week when he brought up the "example" of former Australian test batsman Hookes, who died after being punched outside a Melbourne bar three years ago.
The former India captain suggested on sports network ESPN that "some hot head guy" might "whack" an Australian cricketer if they spoke as offensively in a bar as he claimed some did on the field.
McGrath said Gavaskar's sniping at the Australian team had been "going on for a little while".
"I think with it being the World Cup I think Sunny sees Australia as the main threat to beat India and he's trying to put us off our game," McGrath said.
Former Australian captain Allan Border and Gavaskar have given their names to the India v Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but Border has also this week criticised Gavaskar, who heads the ICC playing committee.
McGrath defended the Australian team's behavioural record, saying they were "definitely" not as bad as Gavaskar portrayed them.
"I've seen other teams do exactly what we have. I don't think the Australians are any worse than any other teams," he said.
"It's fine to say that we are but at the end of the day I think the Indian team does it as well as every other team."
Hodge was visibly angry about Gavaskar's reference to Hookes.
"Pretty disappointed. I'm disappointed about comments made (about) my former coach David Hookes," Hodge said at the team's hotel in St Kitts.
"That's all I'm going to say about it."
- AAP
