Mumbai: A portion of the money paid by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to Pakistani cricketer Abrar Ahmed will go towards the purchase of weapons to kill Indian security personnel and civilians, India’s cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has said, while justifying the ongoing protests.
Sunrisers Leeds, the sister franchise of SRH – champions of the 2016 IPL – signed Ahmed at the 2026 The Hundred Auction. The Pakistani spinner was purchased for £190,000 (Rs. 2.32 crores).
Both SRH and Sunrisers Leeds are owned by Sun TV Network, with Kalanithi Maran’s daughter, Kavya Maran, serving as CEO of the cricket team. She went on to purchase a 100% stake in the Leeds-based Hundred franchise, formerly known as the Northern Superchargers.
The British media had reported ahead of the league’s first-ever auction that the four IPL-owned franchises will not buy players from Pakistan. This move by Sunrisers Leeds came as a surprise under the circumstances, as reported by tinesnow.in.
The backlash the franchisee and Kavya faced is justified, Gavaskar said. The 76-year-old ‘Little Master’ blamed the owners, saying head coach Daniel Vettori might not be aware of the political situation.
“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. 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,” Gavaskar write in Mid-Day.
“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?,” he added.
Hee will not be surprised if SRH faces fan protests during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), Gavaskar said, calling for the owners to change their decision.
“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,” he said.
No Pakistani player has played in the IPL since the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. Several of them had played in the first season in 2008. In the SA20, where all six teams are owned by Indians, no Pakistani player has featured yet.
