‘Fees paid to a Pakistani player contribute to Indian deaths’:Sunil Gavaskar slams Sunrisers Leeds’ signing of Abrar Ahmed

Sunrisers Leeds’ (SRL) signing of Abrar Ahmed at The Hundred auction on 12 March attracted heavy backlash from Indian fans on social media. The criticism stemmed from the fact that the franchise, owned by the Indian brand Sun TV, purchased a Pakistani player, with the two countries having tense relations. The outrage over the Sunrisers’ signing of Abrar was big. Within minutes of the signing, the franchise’s account was flooded with criticism by fans and at one point, their account was even suspended in India. Owner Kavya Maran was criticised heavily as well. Sunil Gavaskar has joined in the debate and made his say, hitting out at the franchise’s move to sign the Pakistani player. Abrar was roped in by the franchise for £190,000, which is approximately ₹2.3 crore. ‘Fees paid to Pakistani players contribute to Indian deaths’ Gavaskar made his point pretty clear while sharing his thoughts on this issue in his column for Mid-day. The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that the backlash that the Sunrisers Leeds faced was justified after signing the Pakistan spinner. “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 wrote. “Although belated, the realisation that the fees that they pay 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 having Pakistani artistes and sportspersons,” he added. Pakistan players were banned from the IPL since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Just last year, India and Pakistan were involved in military conflict during ‘Operation Sindoor’ after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, where tourists were gunned down by militants. Amid the social media outrage, Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori said that the franchise was also keen on signing Usman Tariq, who eventually was roped in by Birmingham Phoenix. While stating that being from New Zealand, Vettori might not have understood the implications of an Indian-owned franchise signing a Pakistani player, Gavaskar pointed out that the owner should have had a clearer understanding of the equation between the two nations. “Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity that is making the payment, if the owner is Indian, then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties. It’s as simple as that. Daniel Vettori, the coach of the team in The Hundred who hails from New Zealand, may not understand this simple dynamic, and so may have wanted some Pakistani players in his team, but surely the owner should have had an understanding of the situation and discouraged the purchase. Is winning a tournament in a format that no other country plays in much more important than Indian lives? Also read: Virat Kohli picks RCB’s all-time XI, includes Chris Gayle: Chinnaswamy gets permission to host matches in upcoming edition How did the BCCI react to Sunrisers signing Abrar Ahmed? The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it clear that it had no say in the Sunrisers Leeds signing Abrar at The Hundred auction. Board’s vice-president Rajeev Shukla was asked about the backlash and he said that the whole matter was not within their domain. “This is not at all concerned with the IPL. They have done it in an overseas league. This is not our domain. We cannot do anything. They have to take a call,” said Shukla. Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL removal Last year, Mustafizur Rahman was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a sum of ₹9.2 crore at the IPL auction, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi player in the tournament’s history. However, his signing received backlash amid reports of anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. As a result, the BCCI had instructed KKR to release Mustafizur from the squad, a move which snowballed into a major controversy. Bangladesh eventually withdrew from the T20 World Cup in India, citing security concerns. Pakistani players playing for India-owned teams Interestingly, Abrar being signed by Sunrisers Leeds is not the only instance of a Pakistani player representing an Indian-owned franchise. Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq play for the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), a franchise owned by India’s Knight Riders group, in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Usman Khan represents the Reliance-owned MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20, while Zaman Khan and Imad Wasim play for Seattle Orcas, a team owned by the GMR group, in the USA’s MLC (Major League Cricket).