Former West Indies captain Jason Holder has criticized the unofficial ban on Pakistani cricketers from joining Indian-owned franchise teams, calling the situation “sad” and damaging for the sport.
The former West Indies captain was speaking on the podcast Game On With Grace when he was asked in the final segment: “What’s changed your mind about something in sport recently?”
Holder used the question to open up about what he sees as an unhealthy and unnecessary divide between India and Pakistan that now stretches far beyond international fixtures.
“I don’t like this whole India–Pakistan beef, you know,” he said, after reflecting on how the rivalry extends “way beyond the cricket field.” He called both nations “powerhouses in world cricket” and said it was painful to watch how off-field politics and tensions are shaping what happens on it.
As he built his point, Holder turned explicitly to the impact on franchise cricket and player opportunities, revealing what he has seen and heard in dressing rooms and leagues around the world.
“We even see it here now where certain Pakistanis can’t be involved in certain teams because they’re owned by Indian owners. It’s just sad, man,” Holder said.
He added that this reality “creates a big disparity” and a “big divide” across leagues, arguing that commercial and political considerations are stopping teams from simply picking the best possible players. For Holder, that runs directly against the spirit cricket likes to sell to the world.
“You want the best competition,” he continued. “And if the best is Indians and Pakistanis playing together then so be it. That is the way the game is meant to be played. That’s what we preach and what we talk about.”
Holder also framed the issue in moral and symbolic terms, saying that cricketers and national sides are watched globally and held up as role models, which makes their behavior – and who they will or won’t share a podium or dressing room with, especially important.
“If we’re talking about world peace and, you know, just making the world a better place, then that’s not what you want to see from your idols and your inspirers,” he said, referring to incidents where Indian and Pakistani teams have kept their political distance even in marquee events.
He argued that any real change in the broader relationship between the two countries could, and perhaps should, start with how their cricketers interact.
“I think if it is to change, it can start with our influential players, our influential teams on the cricket field,” Holder said. He suggested that India and Pakistan “joining forces in the sport,” playing together more freely in leagues and tournaments, would send a powerful message that might eventually echo beyond stadiums.
Holder stressed that his stance comes from personal experience with players from both sides of the border. “I’ve played obviously, and I know both Indians and Pakistanis, and seeing them and knowing them for who they are, like, they’re great people,” he said. He described it as “sad” that some are forced to “put up a front” and keep their distance in order to satisfy political sensitivities or franchise dynamics.
Watch the full podcast here:
