After Sunrisers Leeds, owned by Sun TV, acquired Pakistani leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 in the Hundred auction, Indian supporters expressed disapproval on social media. This move marked the first time an Indian-owned franchise signed a Pakistani international player for the tournament. The decision to buy Abrar, who had a base price of £75,000, came after a bidding war with Trent Rockets.
Leeds’ purchase of Abrar Ahmed stirred controversy as he was known for gestures that mocked Indian players and fans. Sun TV, which also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape teams, completed the acquisition of the franchise previously known as Northern Superchargers. Despite earlier expectations that IPL franchise-owned teams would avoid bidding for Pakistani players, Sunrisers Leeds broke the trend by selecting Abrar.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) clarified that player selections in the auction were based on cricketing performance, availability, and team needs. Notably, no Pakistan player has participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009, and IPL franchise owners have generally refrained from signing Pakistani cricketers. The auction saw only two Pakistani players sold, with others like Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan remaining unsold.
Sunrisers Leeds, led by Harry Brook and coached by Daniel Vettori, also added players like Ryan Rickelton, Zak Crawley, and others to their squad. The upcoming Hundred tournament is scheduled to feature 34 men’s and 34 women’s matches from July 21 to August 16.
