Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has launched a blistering attack on overseas players, urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to introduce stricter regulations for foreign players who withdraw from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being roped in by franchises. Gavaskar expressed concern, saying that some foreign players cite injuries and leave the tournament midway, especially when they are not receiving opportunities in the playing XI.

Gavaskar further noted that these sorts of actions create big challenges for IPL franchises, who invest a lot in players during the auction process. Moreover, he asserted that when a player pulls out midway through the tournament, franchises are left to search for replacements that completely disrupt their plans.

"The BCCI's ban for two years on those who enter the auction and, after being picked, then withdraw at the last moment, not for injury but brownie points with their local media, is another good move. They should also ban those who come to the IPL and, when they find they aren't being picked regularly, feign an injury and return home and then play in their domestic cricket even while the IPL is still going on," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

"Plenty of overseas players take the IPL for granted and sometimes, in connivance with their boards, make some excuse and not play in the full tournament as they agreed before they entered the auction. The franchise cannot go running around for a replacement at this late hour, and so has no option but to wait for the Board to release the player," he added.

Gavaskar also highlighted that foreign cricket boards receive a share of a player's IPL earnings once that player is bought in the auction. 

"Remember, the boards get 10% of the player fee, not from the player. This is an additional cost to the franchise, and that is why it is important for BCCI to be firm and ensure this does not happen. Cutting the player's fee according to the number of matches he is missing should also apply to the percentage that the overseas Boards get for their player," Gavaskar mentioned.

"The cricketing world has been ruled by the old powers without giving anything to the other Boards. Here, BCCI is giving to the Boards too, and so should be telling them not to take the helplessness of the franchise as a weakness and to cancel the contracts of those who don't want to play the full tournament. No compromises. This is the IPL, not just the best T20 tournament in the world, but also the making of millionaires out of some really ordinary overseas players," he stated.