Abrar Ahmed, The Hundred 2026: It is yet another India vs Pakistan controversy on the cricket field. Pakistan’s spinner Abrar Ahmed has been given an NOC from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to join the Hundred 2026. He received the nod to join by Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in the current Pakistan government. In ordinary times him joining a T20 League would not have created any headlines. However, Abrar is set to join Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds. With recent tensions between the two countries at an all-time high, a Pakistani player being employed by an Indian is a huge deal and attracts all sorts of reactions.
The Hundred 2026: Abrar Ahmed to join Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), directed by Mohsin Naqvi, has approved Pakistan’s top spinner Abrar Ahmed to participate in the next season of The Hundred. The Pakistani spinner will play for the Sunrisers Leeds in the next season. During the players’ auction, Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds signed the spin bowler for £190,000, or roughly INR 2.34 crore.
Abrar Ahmed receives NOC from PCB and Mohsin Naqvi
The Indian-owned franchise’s decision to recruit the spinner sparked intense debate on social media. For the first time in almost twenty years, a Pakistani cricket player was hired by a team owned by an IPL conglomerate. Sunrisers maintained their position and denied releasing Abrar Ahmed in spite of the criticism on social media. The cricket community, however, was interested in finding out if PCB would let him play for the Indian-owned franchise. PCB gives Ahmed the all-clear before the competition, dispelling any rumors.
Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds have no problems buying Pakistani players
While Kavya Maran and her team, Sunrisers Leeds, were receiving criticism from different parts on social media platforms, it was later revealed that there were other players on their radar as well. Daniel Vettori, who is the head coach of the Leeds-based franchise and also the bowling coach of the parent team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, revealed that Usman Tariq was also among their targets.
The former New Zealand spinner revealed how their targets in the spin department included international bowlers, including two Pakistani players. Vettori, while talking about buying Abrar, said, “We just planned for everyone who was in the auction. There wasn’t a discussion (about not picking Pakistan players) – it was just who was the best option. After we missed out on Adil Rashid, the priority was going to get a spin bowler, and we didn’t think that quality was in the local market, so we had to jump overseas. Rishad Hussain, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed – they were all guys that were on our radar.”
The Hundred 2026: Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds Squad
Sunrisers Leeds Squad For The Hundred 2026: Ryan Rickelton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Nathan Ellis, Tom Alsop, Mitchell Marsh, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Zak Crawley, Benjamin Howell, Abrar Ahmed, Tom Lawes, Reece Topley, Liam Patterson-White, Edward Barnard
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
