Sunil Gavaskar urges Indian-owned franchises across global leagues not to sign Pakistani players

The former Indian legendary cricketer also refuses to back down on the ‘taxpayer’ claim in the Abrar Ahmed row.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar had sparked a major controversy recently after lashing out at the Sun Group, owners of The Hundred franchise Sunrisers Leeds, for signing Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 (approximately INR 2.35 crore) at the auction. He argued the fees paid to Ahmed would indirectly contribute to the Pakistan government’s purchase of arms and weapons, which could “indirectly contribute to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians.” This reignited debate around the long-standing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan. The strained relations also mean there is no bilateral cricket between the two nations, although they continue to face off in ICC and Asia Cup tournaments.

Sunil Gavaskar refuses to back down on ‘taxpayer’ claim.

In the Abrar Ahmed row, Gavaskar refuses to back down on the ‘taxpayer’ claim. Gavaskar’s “taxpayer” argument triggered sharp criticism, most notably from Pakistan-born former England cricketer AzeemRafiq, who questioned why the Indian legend continues to commentate on India-Pakistan matches. However, responding to the criticism, he clarified in an interview with Mumbai Mirror that his earlier stance doesn’t contradict his role as a commentator. He said, “Yes, I have been on commentary panels of ICC and ACC. The revenue is distributed to all participating countries by ICC and ACC, but not by an Indian entity, as far as I know. I don’t understand how you can say that I am a contributor since I am not making any payment to any commentator, Indian or any other nationality.” He even addressed his appearance on Pakistan’s cricket show The Dressing Room during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, alongside former Pakistan captains WasimAkram and WaqarYounis and clarified, “I did not ask nor get paid for the show I did in Dubai.”

Gavaskar urges Indian-owned franchises to refrain from signing Pakistani players.

Gavaskar has now urged Indian-owned franchises across global leagues to refrain from signing Pakistani players. He said, “I don’t follow the CPL, ILT20 or SA20, so I am not aware who is playing for whom. Yes, if there are Indian owners and they are paying Pakistani players, then hopefully they will stop doing that.” He even dismissed suggestions linking Jay Shah to India-Pakistan matches in multi-nation tournaments. He added, “Jay Shah is only the chairman of ICC. India and Pakistan have been playing against each other for decades, long before he became chairman. Suggesting that he is responsible for the current matches is absolute rubbish. The ICC does the scheduling, not Jay Shah, and it is the ICC and ACC that distribute revenues to PCB.”