Kavya Maran and Abrar Ahmed (Image Credits: X)
Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed was signed by Sunrisers Leeds for a sum of £190,000 (INR 2.34 crore) in The Hundred. The SunRisers franchises are co-owned by Kavya Maran. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar had reacted on the backlash that the Sunrisers Leeds had been facing stating that money spent on a Pakistani cricketer indirectly contributes to Indian casualties.
While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Abrar have been silent on the backlash, sources there are no concerns as the issue lies between the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the franchise.
“The noise on Abrar’s signing is not unexpected, but he is not losing sleep over the uproar,” PCB sources were quoted as saying to Telecom Asia.
“Abrar registered for The Hundred as he is ready to ply his trade in the leagues around the world and was signed as one of the top three bowlers in T20I rankings, which is well deserved,” the report quoted sources.
After the Leeds franchise picked up Abrar Ahmed, Kavya Maran faced a lot of backlash on social media. It was earlier reported by BBC that the owners who have teams in the IPL will not be picking Pakistan players in their squads. Four out these eight franchises at the Hundred — MI London, SunRisers Leeds, Southern Brave, Manchester Super Giants — are owned by groups that also own IPL teams.
It was earlier reported by BBC that the Pakistan players might get the bidding from a lot of buyers as a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) indicated to an agent on the same. Another agent described the situation as “an unwritten rule” across T20 leagues around the world with Indian investment.
Sunrisers Leeds reportedly also picked the paddle up for another Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq. He eventually was sold to Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (INR 1.72 crore). A total of 14 Pakistan players were registered for the auction initially but ODI skipper Shaheen Afridi had withdrawn his name on the eve of the auction. Haris Rauf, who was not picked for the T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, went unsold along with all-rounder Saim Ayub.
Also Read: M Chinnaswamy New Guidelines For IPL 2026 | RCB Return Home With Reduced Crowd And Safety Measures
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