Abrar Ahmed and Kavya Maran
New Delhi: Pakistani pacer Abrar Ahmed has been signed by Sunrisers Leeds during the Hundred Auction 2026, but the move has sparked backlash online. After the franchise announced the signing of X, the post was filled with negative comments, with some fans criticizing an IPL-related team for selecting a Pakistani player.
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Some posts even targeted Kavya Maran, co-owner of Sunrisers Leeds, for allegedly manipulating the Pakistani player. Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the same group that runs Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Super League, bought the 27-year-old for £190,000.
Meanwhile, another Pakistani player, Usman Tariq, has been snapped up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000.Before the auction, there was speculation that franchises associated with the Indian Premier League might avoid signing Pakistani cricketers due to political tensions between India and Pakistan.
Players from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League since 2009, and the two countries only face each other in global tournaments.Addressing the discussion earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the eight franchises had made it clear that selections would be made on merit only. The joint statement said that the choices will depend on… “Performance, availability and needs of each team.”Despite Ahmed’s signing, several Pakistani players had mixed results at the auction.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf went unsold at his reserve price of £100,000, while star player Shaheen Shah Afridi pulled out before the auction began.Pakistan also struggled in the women’s auction held the previous day, with Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal failing to attract any bids.Elsewhere in the auction, London Spirit paid £390,000 to sign England all-rounder James Cole, while Welsh Fire spent a combined £540,000 on batsman and former England captain Jordan Cox.
Joe Root
.The 2026 season of The Hundred, featuring both men’s and women’s tournaments, will begin on July 21 and run for four weeks.
