Matthew Hayden's comment about India being a "third world" country came in for a scathing attack from former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram who said the Australians have a habit of bad-mouthing their opponents whenever they lose.
Akram said the Aussies were "sore losers" and that Hayden should have known that India was now hundred years ahead of Australia "which is no more than a village."
"The thing about the Aussies is that they are sore losers. They get personal when they get beaten. It is all a matter of sour grapes and after going home, they've started calling India a third-world country", Akram told ESPN Mobile from Karachi.
"India is a superpower now; it is a hundred years ahead of Australia, which is no more than a village, as compared to India. You don't blame sightscreens for poor over rates. Even Allan Border was critical of Australian tactics on the pitch," Akram said.
Akram's stinging reaction came a day after the BCCI reacted strongly to Hayden's remark, saying such a comment about India was totally uncalled for from the Australian opener.
Back home after the 2-0 series defeat, Hayden spoke about, what he perceived, poor ground conditions and inordinate delays during the matches "that happen in Third World countries".
"This was a completely uncalled for remark by him. A player of his stature should not have made the comment," BCCI's Finance Committee Chairman Rajiv Shukla had said on Friday.
"If slow-over rate is your habit, why blame India for that and call India third world? We are a very prestigious nation and it was not a nice comment by him," Shukla said.
Hayden made a list of things which he felt resulted in Australia's slow over-rates in the series against India.
He alleged the Indian batsmen were reluctant to "face up" quickly enough and there was constant movements around sightscreens.
"They (opposition batsmen) are very difficult to get to face up," Hayden said.
"Often we find ourselves with hands on hips waiting for someone to either face up or someone in the sightboard to move away; all the little frustrations that happen in Third World countries and the heat as well," he added.
