Gavaskar slams Sunrisers Leeds for signing Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed

Former India cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has launched a strong condemnation of Sunrisers Leeds, the Indian-owned franchise that signed Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed for The Hundred 2026 tournament.

“Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has said Sunrisers Leeds' signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed "indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians"”

BBC

The criticism stems from the sensitive political relationship between India and Pakistan, particularly following the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

BBC

Gavaskar asserted that the backlash against the franchise was 'hardly surprising' given the historical precedent of Indian franchise owners avoiding Pakistani players in the IPL.

The franchise, owned by Chennai-based Sun Group through Kavya Maran, secured Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 (approximately Rs 2.34 crore) during the auction held in London on Thursday.

The signing immediately drew criticism from prominent figures in Indian cricket, reflecting the strength of feeling in some quarters.

Gavaskar's criticism centered on the financial implications of signing Pakistani players, arguing that the fees paid ultimately contribute to funds that could be used against Indian interests.

In his column for Mid-Day, he explained that the money trail from player payments to government tax revenue creates a moral dilemma for Indian owners.

DNA India

The former India captain made the controversial claim that '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.'

This argument suggests that the money paid to Pakistani players eventually reaches the Pakistani government through taxation, which could then be used to purchase arms and weapons that harm Indian soldiers and civilians.

Gavaskar presented this as a straightforward moral calculation where sporting success should not outweigh national security concerns.

The controversy involves a complex ownership structure where the Sun Group, a Chennai-based media organization founded by Kalanithi Maran, operates franchises in both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and The Hundred tournament.

“Buying Pak players contributes to death of Indian soldiers: Gavaskar slams SRH owners Sunil Gavaskar has criticised SunRisers Leeds owners for signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed at The Hundred 2026 auction, arguing that Indian owners must not contribute to Pakistani government revenues”

India Today

Kavya Maran, Kalanithi's daughter, was present at the Hundred auction and led the bidding for Abrar Ahmed.

The Sunrisers Leeds franchise is essentially a sister team to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, though it operates in the English tournament.

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand head coach of Sunrisers Leeds, revealed that Abrar was not the only Pakistani player on their radar, suggesting the coaching staff had been considering multiple Pakistani talent options.

Gavaskar acknowledged that Vettori might not fully understand the political dynamics between India and Pakistan, but he placed the primary responsibility on the franchise owners who should have intervened to prevent the controversial signing.

The signing triggered immediate backlash on social media, with Sunrisers Leeds facing significant criticism from Indian cricket fans.

The franchise's X account was temporarily suspended on Friday morning, though this was reportedly due to an unrelated technical problem rather than the controversy.

Inshorts

Privately, some figures in the Indian cricket community had initially believed the backlash would be limited to social media and would ease by the time Sunrisers Hyderabad participates in the new IPL season at the end of March.

However, Gavaskar's intervention, given his status as one of the most important figures in Indian cricket history, demonstrated the depth of feeling on the issue.

In his column, Gavaskar went so far as to predict that 'for every game this team plays – whether at home or away – there will be massive demonstrations by Indian fans protesting this hard-to-believe purchase.'

He urged the franchise to release Abrar before the season begins, suggesting there was still time 'to undo the wrong and hopefully wiser counsels will prevail.'

The controversy exists within a broader historical and regulatory context of strained India-Pakistan cricket relations.

“'Fees Paid To Pakistani Players Contribute To Indian Deaths': Sunrisers Warned After Signing Abrar Ahmed Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has criticised Sunrisers Leeds owner for signing a Pakistani player for the upcoming season of The Hundred”

News18

International cricket matches between the two nations have become increasingly tense, with teams declining to shake hands in recent fixtures.

News18

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had previously warned against discrimination based on nationality, writing to all eight franchises to remind them of their responsibilities around anti-discrimination.

The governing body subsequently released a joint statement alongside the franchises stating that 'players must not be excluded on the grounds of nationality.'

Despite this stance, sources told BBC Sport in February that the four IPL-linked Hundred franchises were considering avoiding the signing of Pakistan players.

In the recent Hundred auction, three of the five Pakistan players in the men's auction were unsold, while Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal were among the Pakistan players in the women's auction.

This suggests a continuing trend of reluctance toward Pakistani players, even as official policies maintain an inclusive approach.