Sunil Gavaskar has sharply criticised Sunrisers Leeds for signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed at The Hundred auction last week, arguing that Indian franchise owners should refrain from recruiting Pakistani players due to ongoing political tension between the two countries.
"The furore created by the acquisition of a Pakistani player by the Indian owner of a franchise in The Hundred is hardly surprising. Ever since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, Indian franchise owners have simply ignored Pakistani players for the IPL," Gavaskar told Mid-Day.
Gavaskar further claimed that payments made to Pakistani players ultimately "indirectly contribute to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians," as income tax collected from such salaries goes to the Pakistan government.
"Although belated, the realisation that the fees paid to a Pakistani player, who then pays income tax to his government-which buys arms and weapons-indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians is making Indian entities refrain from even considering Pakistani artistes and sportspersons. Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary, if the owner is Indian, then he or she is contributing to the casualties. It's as simple as that," he added.
The former India captain also warned that the move could trigger backlash in India, potentially affecting the fan base of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
"It won't be a surprise if, for every game this team plays, there are massive demonstrations by Indian fans protesting this hard-to-believe buying. Crowds may even stay away despite the team having attractive stroke makers," he wrote.
What happened at The Hundred auction?
Sunrisers Leeds, owned by India's Sun TV Network Limited, purchased Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 (approximately Rs 2.34 crore), becoming the first Indian-owned Hundred franchise to pick a Pakistan player.
The move did not go down well with Indian cricket fans who in turn took to social media and slammed Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kaviya Maran, the co-owner of the Sunrisers' teams.
Abrar Ahmed's history with Indian cricket
The 27-year-old Abrar has previously sparked controversies for taking digs at Indian cricket. During an India-Pakistan ODI in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, he drew criticism after giving a fiery send-off to Shubman Gill following his dismissal, an act that did not go down well with Indian fans.
In another incident, the spinner faced backlash over an Instagram post in which he appeared to mock Indians by referencing Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. The post triggered strong reactions on social media, with many fans calling him out.
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