Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar has warned that the decision by an Indian Premier League franchise to sign a Pakistan player in The Hundred could contribute “to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians”.
Gavaskar hit out at the decision by the Sunrisers Leeds franchise to sign Pakistan spinner AbrarAhmed last week at The Hundred auction in London and said fans could boycott Sunrisers Hyderabad matches in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), as well as stage demonstrations over the decision.
Abrar was signed last week for £190,000 ($432,300) by the Sunrisers, breaking an unofficial boycott of Pakistan players by IPL-owned teams, with their head coach and former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori insisting it was a decision taken on cricketing grounds only.
The signing came as a relief to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which had written to franchises ahead of the auction warning they could face punishment under anti-discrimination rules and be referred to the Cricket Regulator if there were accusations they had not signed Pakistan players for non-cricketing reasons.
The Sunrisers faced a fierce backlash online when they signed Abrar on Thursday (local time) and Gavaskar’s comments in his newspaper column in India will further inflame the situation and add to the pressure on the franchise.
“The furore created by the acquisition of a Pakistani player by the Indian owner of a franchise in The Hundred is hardly surprising,” he wrote. “Ever since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, Indian franchise owners have simply ignored Pakistani players for the IPL.
“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.
Daniel Vettori is the head coach of the Sunrisers Leeds franchise in England's The Hundred. Photo / Photosport
“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?
“It won’t be a surprise that for every game that this team plays, whether at home or away, there will be massive demonstrations by Indian fans protesting at this hard-to-believe buying. In fact, it won’t be a surprise that, despite having some of the most attractive stroke-makers in their team, the crowds may stay away and show their disapproval of the decision. There’s still time to undo the wrong and hopefully wiser counsels will prevail.”
Abrar could still miss The Hundred. Pakistan’s international commitments (a tour to England) clash with The Hundred and the Pakistan Cricket Board has strict policies about granting permission for their players to appear in overseas leagues.
Telegraph Sport has approached the Sunrisers Leeds for comment.
