King Khan bowls a beamer at Sunny

The Bollywood Badshah has ripped into the venerated
Little Master. In response to Sunil Gavaskar’s criticism of John Buchanan, Shah
Rukh Khan has said that since he owns the team he should be allowed to run it
the way he wants and those who have a problem should go and buy a team of their
own. The Kolkata Knight Riders’ owner launched his diatribe against the
legendary batsman during a news conference at a city hotel on Sunday evening.
With utmost politeness, King Khan said that though Gavaskar is a respectable
figure, he hasn’t played Twenty20 cricket. “I respect Gavaskar sahab a
lot and his knowledge about the game is much more than mine… But he hasn’t
played T20 during his time…” was his reply to a query.The backdrop of Shah Rukh
Khan’s response was the former India captain’s column in an English daily on
Sunday where he tore Buchanan apart for his “four-captain” theory and myriad
experimentations.

“When the one-day cricket was first introduced many
said that it won’t last and it is pyjama cricket but that impression
has changed after the version became so popular… Nevertheless his (Gavaskar’s)
vast knowledge about the game does allow him to make any comment,” King Khan
said.The actor said that he grew up watching Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath and
Kapil Dev during their heydays.”During my childhood, I watched Gavaskar
sahab, Vishy and Kapil a lot.”"The concept is classical and it should be
given a chance to fail… If it fails, we will revert back to the old concept,” a
visibly agitated SRK told the media.He turned a bit rude when repeatedly
reminded about the criticisms Buchanan is facing for his ‘innovative’ thinking.
“Please give it some breathing space. I am the owner of the team, I bought it…
If somebody wants to implement something then let him buy a team and do it.

“In his column, Gavaskar wrote that Indian media
gave undue mileage to Buchanan, who according to him, is a failed first-class
cricketer earning his bread telling international players to do what he
couldn’t.To comment on his multiple skipper theory is to give it the importance
it doesn’t deserve but what does require comment is how he has got his
Queensland pals lucrative jobs with KKR,” Gavaskar wrote.”They (KKR) have a very
big support staff which includes his son and most of them are from Queensland.
The owners — poor souls — have little idea that they are being milked,” Gavaskar
had written.Asked whether Buchanan is applying the age-old divide-and-rule
policy, King Khan said that Britishers are good at it whereas John is an
Australian.Shah Rukh backed his team director’s multiple-captain theory.

“Even the Kings XI Punjab had multiple skippers but
that didn’t create any controversy as that was left unsaid… Yuvraj being the
skipper, it was Sangakkara who made the field placements last season,” he said.
Last but not the least, Shah Rukh made it clear that he would follow the path
shown by Buchanan and is in no mood to listen to anybody else. Be it anybody!