NewKerala.com

Indian-Owned Sunrisers Leeds Sign Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed in Historic Hundred Deal

Sunrisers Leeds, owned by India's Sun TV, made a significant move by purchasing Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 in The Hundred men's auction. This marks the first time a Pakistani international has been signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament, breaking an observed pattern. The acquisition comes despite earlier expectations and a longstanding absence of Pakistan players from the IPL and its franchise-owned teams globally. The ECB had stated that auction selections would be based purely on cricketing merit and team needs.

Key Points: Sunrisers Leeds Sign Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred Auction

  • Abrar Ahmed sold for £190k
  • First Pakistani signed by Indian-owned Hundred team
  • Sun TV owns Sunrisers Leeds
  • Breaks trend of IPL owners avoiding Pakistan players
2 min read

India-owned Sunrisers Leeds sign Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred men's auction

Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds break pattern, sign Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190k in The Hundred men's auction, a landmark move.

"selections in the auction would be based solely on 'cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team' - ECB"

London, March 12

Sunrisers Leeds bought Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for 190,000 pounds on Thursday in the inaugural men's Hundred auction, making him the first Pakistani international signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament.

The purchase for Abrar, who came with a base price of 75,000 pounds, came after Sunrisers Leeds, owned by Indian media group Sun TV, prevailed in a bidding contest with Trent Rockets at the auction shortly before the lunch break happened.

Sun TV completed its acquisition of the franchise previously known as Northern Superchargers by buying a 49 percent stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the remaining 51 percent from Yorkshire for about 100 million pounds.

The conglomerate also runs Sunrisers Hyderabad (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SA20) teams. Earlier reports suggested IPL franchise-owned teams would avoid bidding for Pakistan players, and the early stages of Thursday's auction appeared to support that expectation till Abrar was picked.

No Pakistan player has featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009, and IPL franchise owners who have invested in franchise T20 leagues worldwide have generally avoided signing cricketers from the country.

The ECB said last month that selections in the auction would be based solely on 'cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team.' Nine Pakistan players have appeared across the competition's first five seasons, though none of the female cricketers from the country were picked in the women's auction on Wednesday.

Abrar was the second Pakistan player sold in the auction on Thursday morning after mystery spinner Usman Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for 140,000 pounds. Several other Pakistan players like Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, went unsold.

Sunrisers Leeds, captained by Harry Brook and coached by Daniel Vettori, also picked up South Africa's Ryan Rickelton, England's Zak Crawley, Matt Potts and Dan Lawrence in the early stages of the auction. The squad already includes Brydon Carse, Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Ellis. The 2026 Hundred will run from July 21 to August 16 and will feature 34 men's and 34 women's matches.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting move. The article says IPL teams have avoided Pakistani players for years. Maybe this is a sign of things changing slowly? The ECB's statement about selection being based on cricketing merit is the right approach for any sport.
P
Priya S
As a Sunrisers Hyderabad fan, I'm a bit surprised but not unhappy. Business is business, and The Hundred is an English tournament. If he helps the team win, good for them. Just hope the focus stays on the game and not on unnecessary controversies.
V
Vikram M
Respectfully, I have mixed feelings. While I understand the cricketing logic, it feels a bit odd given the history. However, it's an English league, and the owners have every right to pick the best squad. Let's see how it plays out.
R
Rohit P
Good signing! Abrar is a mystery spinner and will be a great asset in the short format. The fact that other Pakistani players went unsold shows it was purely a cricketing call, not a political one. More power to the Sunrisers management! 💪
M
Michael C
The financial aspect is huge here – 190k pounds is a lot for a player with his base price. Sun TV is making a serious investment in global cricket. This could be a strategic move to build their brand beyond India and South Africa.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50