Amid the controversy surrounding Pakistan cricketer Abrar Ahmed being signed by Sunrisers Leeds during the auction of The Hundred, Rajeev Shukla, Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said the board cannot intervene in the matter because it involves a foreign league. Speaking to ANI, Shukla clarified that the decision was outside the BCCI’s jurisdiction. He said the signing was related to an overseas tournament and therefore the franchise itself would have to take any decision regarding the matter.
Sunrisers Leeds secured the services of the leg-spinner for £190,000 (around $255,000) during the inaugural men’s Hundred auction held in London. With this move, Abrar Ahmed became the first Pakistan cricketer to be signed by a team owned by an Indian franchise group in the tournament.
However, the signing quickly triggered criticism on social media, with many users directing backlash toward Sunrisers Leeds co-owner Kavya Maran. Some critics referred to alleged comments made by the 27-year-old spinner in the past that were perceived as mocking the Indian armed forces during the period around the events of Operation Sindoor in May last year.
According to reports from ESPNcricinfo, the Indian media conglomerate Sun TV Network completed a full takeover of the franchise last year. The team was previously known as Northern Superchargers. The group acquired a 49 percent stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the remaining 51 percent from Yorkshire for approximately £100 million. Stakes in three other Hundred teams were also sold to investors connected with franchises from the Indian Premier League.
The Sunrisers group already operates multiple franchises around the world, including Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 league. Despite their global presence, none of these teams had previously signed an active Pakistan international player.
During the auction, the Leeds-based side reportedly entered a bidding contest with Trent Rockets before securing Abrar Ahmed shortly before the lunch break. The auction itself had attracted attention because of speculation about whether the four teams owned by IPL investors would bid for Pakistan players amid reports of a possible informal restriction. However, all eight franchises had publicly committed to selecting players based on performance, availability, and the needs of their teams.
Abrar Ahmed was the second Pakistan player to be sold during the auction. Earlier, Usman Tariq had been picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (around $187,000). Trent Rockets and Birmingham Phoenix are partly owned by their host counties, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, along with American investor groups.
While Pakistan cricketers have participated in several global T20 leagues run by franchise groups connected to the IPL, no active Pakistan international has played in the IPL since 2008 because of the long-standing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
