&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Contributing to Indian casualties': Gavaskar hits out at SRH owners signing Pak's Abrar in England's Hundred")
Former India skipper and legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has hit out at Pakistan player Abrar Ahmed's signing by SunRisers Hyderabad group-owned Sunrisers Leeds in England's Hundred. The signing came amid the fears of Pakistan players being sidelined by four IPL-linked franchises in the Hundred. Gavaskar, in his column for Mumbai-based news outlet Mid-day wrote that the owners signing Pakistan players are responsible for the "Indian casualties." The Sunrisers Leeds owner Sun Group, which also own SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) IPL, faced social media backlash in India for the action while the BCCI said that the signing of a Pakistan player in Hundred is beyond their jurisdiction.
Why Gavaskar is not happy with SRH-owned Sunrisers Leeds buying Pak's Abrar in Hundred?
Ever since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists, the IPL franchises are not allowed to sign the Pakistan players. Last year, the two countries were involved in a four-day millitary conflict following India's precision strike on Pakistan's terrorist camps under Operation Sindoor. The strike came after Pak-based terrorists killed tourists in India's Jammu and Kashmir in April. Since then, the tensions between the tour nations has been at all-time high.
The two neighbours also do not play bilateral series since 2007 and now do not travel to each other's country even for ICC events as visible in 2025 Champions Trophy which India played in UAE and T20 World Cup 2026 which Pakistan played in Sri Lanka.
Gavaskar's point of contention is that by signing a Pakistan player, the Indian onwer is responsible for the Indian casualties, directly or indireclty.
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"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," he wrote in his column.
What is Gavaskar's logic behind criticism of Sunrisers Leeds for signing up Pak's Abrar Ahmed?
"The furore created by the acquisition of a Pakistani player by the Indian owner of a franchise in The Hundred is hardly surprising," Gavaskar 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."
