Sunrisers Leeds faced backlash after signing Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed during The Hundred 2026 auction. This move, making Abrar the first Pakistani player in an Indian-owned franchise, drew criticism from fans who labeled the team as anti-national. Shortly after the signing, the team’s official social media account, formerly Twitter, was suspended without a specific reason provided.
Sun TV acquired The Hundred franchise, previously known as Northern Superchargers, with a 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire for around 100 million pounds. Reports had indicated that IPL franchise-owned teams might avoid bidding for Pakistani players, a trend that seemed to hold until Abrar’s selection.
The absence of Pakistani players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 has been notable, with franchise owners generally refraining from signing cricketers from Pakistan. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) emphasized that player selections in the auction were based on cricketing performance, availability, and team requirements.
Abrar Ahmed was the second Pakistani player sold in the auction, with Birmingham Phoenix acquiring mystery spinner Usman Tariq for 140,000 pounds. Despite this, players like Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan remained unsold. Sunrisers Leeds, led by Harry Brook and coached by Daniel Vettori, also secured players like Ryan Rickelton, Zak Crawley, Matt Potts, and Dan Lawrence. The upcoming 2026 Hundred tournament will feature 34 men’s and 34 women’s matches from July 21 to August 16.
