Overview
- Former IPL chief Lalit Modi posted a message to executive Kavya Maran offering help on “managing optics” after the £190,000 deal for Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed.
- In a widely cited column, Sunil Gavaskar argued payments to Pakistan players could indirectly fund harms to Indians and urged the team to reverse course.
- Head coach Daniel Vettori said the move was a cricket decision taken after missing out on Adil Rashid, with Abrar targeted for his variations at Headingley.
- BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the Indian board cannot intervene in a foreign league, while the ECB has warned teams against nationality-based exclusion.
- PCB-linked sources said Abrar remains focused on preparations despite the uproar, following a wave of social-media backlash that briefly saw the club’s X account suspended.