Sunil Gavaskar’s hard take on Abrar Ahmed’s signing signals the death of romance between India and Pakistan cricket

If words could kill, the following would.

"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.

“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 is what cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar recently wrote in his column, reacting to the Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds’ signing of Pakistani cricketer Abrar Ahmed for 190,000 pounds, which is around 2.5 crore in Indian rupees. Sunrisers Leeds, the Hundred franchise in England, are owned by the Sun Group led by Kalanithi Maran and his daughter Kavya Maran. The same group also owns Hyderabad Sunrisers in the IPL.

His remarks have indeed stunned the cricket world. Because this is the same Gavaskar who has been known to have a very friendly relationship with current and former Pakistani players. As early as February 2025, during the Champions Trophy, he appeared on a Pakistani TV show with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Ajay Jadeja and Nikhil Chopra were also part of the show.

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During the show, he even shared some batting tips for Babar Azam. Readers will remember that during the 2022 T20 World Cup, he met Azam in Australia in what many considered a great gesture. Two years later, at another T20 World, they met again in the USA. He has praised Azam on record.

Gavaskar has appeared on former Pakistani players’ YouTube channels. He has sent his birthday wishes to many on the other side of the border. When he turned 75 two years ago, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, and Mohsin Khan were among the Pakistani cricketers who wished him on his birthday.

Gavaskar in support of the often-hostile Imran Khan

Last month, he spoke in favour of Imran Khan. The former all-rounder and prime minister has been languishing in jail since 2023 over corruption charges. After reports emerged that Khan had almost lost all sight in one eye due to medical negligence, Gavaskar expressed his concerns and asked that Khan be treated humanely. In the past, he had shared media platforms with Khan and other Pakistani players several times.

It may be noted that Khan was not exactly friendly with India during his tenure as prime minister. Still, Gavaskar and Kapil Dev lent their support in his hour of need.

So, one can see there is a major shift in Gavaskar's attitude and opinion towards Pakistan. And, frankly, he can’t be blamed for this change in opinion. Things have come to a head since the Operation Sindoor in May, the short war that India and Pakistan fought.

Even during the Asia Cup held after Operation Sindoor, Gavaskar was extremely vocal and backed the Indian team’s decision not to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.

So, it’s very obvious the romance is now dead between both sets of players. Former Pakistani players like Saqlain Mushtaq, Rashid Latif, Tanvir Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Aaqib Javed, and so many others have been venomous and jealous towards India, particularly during the team’s epic successes across formats in the last few years.

But Gavaskar taking a hard stance is something else. For one thing, he is a highly accomplished cricketer. Then he is highly educated and considered one of the most important voices in cricket worldwide, unlike the Pakistani players mentioned above. So, if he is willing to sacrifice all his good memories and relationships with Pakistani players, it’s big and significant. He is not a rabble-rouser. He must have given his comments a lot of thought before putting pen to paper or typing them out.

It’s an all-out war now, both on and off the field. Clear as day!

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