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SRINAGAR: Former India all-rounder Parvez Rasool condemned Tuesday social media memes mocking West Indies star Chris Gayle after the abrupt collapse of Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) in J&K, calling the portrayal “irresponsible and harmful for Kashmir’s cricket”.Rasool said Gayle did not flee but left after completing his three-match commitment. “When he left the hotel, everyone greeted him warmly. People must show respect to such a great cricketer,” he said, adding that Gayle’s presence encouraged local players and promoted tourism. Gayle was seen last week enjoying a Shikara ride on Dal Lake, smiling and waving to fans.“An international cricketer of great repute, Chris Gayle, was here. He praised one of our boys and said he played well. It was a rare moment for us,” Rasool said. “He interacted with local players, visited Dal Lake to promote tourism, and now people are making memes saying he ran away. That’s unfair and not good for us or for cricket.”The T20 tournament organised by non-profit Yuva Society collapsed Saturday night after organisers allegedly fled a Srinagar hotel without paying players, staff, or umpires. Turning to the controversy, Rasool said the league was “poorly managed” but not a scam. “I was the biggest sufferer and they didn’t pay me anything,” he said. “The idea was to give local players a chance to share the field with international cricketers. Unfortunately, lack of sponsors and poor crowd turnout ruined it.”
