'Is winning a tournament more valuable than Indian lives?' Sunil Gavaskar slams Sunrisers Leeds for signing Pakistani cricketer

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A Pakistani player was bought by an Indian-owned franchise in England's 'The Hundred' league, causing a huge uproar in the cricket world. Sun Group owner Kavya Maran's team 'Sunrisers Leeds' recently paid a huge amount to add Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed to their team in the auction. While people in India were already expressing anger on social media over this decision, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also made a very harsh comment. He strongly criticized this move and clearly said that paying a Pakistani player a fee of crores is like indirectly contributing to the death of Indian soldiers and civilians.

Pakistani player bought for 2.3 crores, Gavaskar raised serious questions

In The Hundred League auction, Sunrisers Leeds purchased Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed for a hefty £190,000, or approximately ₹2.3 crore (approximately $2.3 million). The matter didn't end there; team coach Daniel Vettori also stated after the auction that another Pakistani spinner, Usman Tariq, was also on their radar. Infuriated by this, Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day that the uproar over the Indian franchise's move was completely justified and natural. He reminded that Indian franchises had completely distanced themselves from Pakistani players in the IPL since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, but now buying them in a foreign league is completely incomprehensible.

'Weapons and ammunition are purchased using income tax money'

In his column, Gavaskar stated the stark and harsh truth, stating that a significant portion of the crores of rupees in fees paid to Pakistani players goes to their government in the form of income tax. Pakistan uses this tax money to purchase weapons and ammunition, which are used against Indian soldiers and innocent civilians on the border and within the country. He wrote bluntly that if any Indian organization or its foreign company is paying Pakistani players, it is, even if unknowingly, contributing to the casualties of Indians. This is the primary reason why Pakistani artists and players have been completely banned from working in India.

'The owner should have understood the situation'

Commenting on Sunrisers coach Daniel Vettori's decision, Gavaskar said that being from New Zealand, Vettori may not understand the seriousness of the matter and may want Pakistani players to strengthen his team. However, the team owner should have fully understood the tensions and situation between the two countries. She should have stepped in and put a stop to this purchase. Gavaskar asked a poignant question, writing, "Is winning a tournament in a format that no other country in the world even plays more important than the lives of Indians?" It's worth noting that the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2019 Pulwama attack, and last year's Pahalgam terrorist attacks have made it clear that Pakistan is not going to stop its nefarious activities.