Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar recently spoke about the role of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in bringing players from different countries together and reducing animosity between them. In his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar stated that the IPL has been instrumental in bridging the gap across the world.
While acknowledging that sparks are bound to fly when top-ranked teams play against each other, Gavaskar said that the IPL has reduced animosity between players from different teams. He added that the intensity of the matches has not reduced, and that’s how it should be.
Gavaskar also addressed the issue of Pakistani players being excluded from the IPL. He noted that while there will always be some banter between players, angry and vulgar exchanges are a thing of the past. He further pointed out that any issues that do arise are usually between players who don’t participate in the IPL and thus resent Indian players who play against them.
Commenting on ex-Pakistani players who criticize Indian players on social media, Gavaskar said that it is a trick to gain followers and reach. He wrote that it has become a daily affair to hear some former players from across the border pulling down Indian players by saying that Pakistani players are better. Gavaskar explained that these players know they will immediately get a response from Indian fans defending their favourite player, thus increasing the number of followers for the former Pakistani players.
The former Indian cricketer’s views shed light on how the IPL has helped improve relations between players from different countries and how social media has become a tool for former players to gain followers and attention.
