Last Updated on 4 weeks ago by Charbel Coorey
Indian legend and one of the best batters of all time, Sunil Gavaskar, has shared his thoughts on Pakistani players playing for Indian-owned franchises in T20 leagues around the globe.
Recently, Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed was bought by Sunrisers Leeds, a franchise owned by the Sunrisers franchise, for £190,000 in The Hundred. The franchise already received a lot of criticism from Indian fans, even calling for a boycott of their matches and team in the IPL.
Gavaskar said that Indian-owned franchises should avoid picking up Pakistani cricketers, as such payments cause harm to India.
In his Mid-day column, Gavaskar said that the heat the Sunrisers are getting is understandable considering the relationship between both countries and Indian cricket’s stance of banning Pakistani players from the IPL after the terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2028
Gavaskar said, “The rage created by an Indian franchise after picking up Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred auction is hardly surprising.” He further wrote: “The hefty sum paid to the Pakistani cricketers goes to the Pakistani government via income tax, which then buys arms and weapons, which indirectly contributes to the death of Indian soldiers and civilians. This refrains Indian entities from even considering Pakistani sportspersons and artists.”
He wrote that if the owner is an Indian, then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties. Gavaskar also argued about whether success in a franchise tournament is more important than the national interest of India.
Fans criticise Sunil Gavaskar for his comments about Pakistani cricketers playing for Indian-owned teams
The former Indian captain further said, “It won’t be a surprise if the Indian fans oppose this hard-to-believe move in every game that the franchise plays (in the IPL).”
After these comments, fans were clear in expressing their disagreement with the former Indian legend. Here are some of the reactions from the fans:
It is very likely that the Sunrisers franchise will get a lot of backlash from the Indian fans during the IPL, but fans didn’t liked Sunil Gavaskar’s argument on the matter.
