BCCI Says It Has No Role in Sunrisers Leeds Signing Pakistan Spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred Auction
New Delhi, March 13: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that it has no involvement in the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds during The Hundred auction in England, stressing that the deal relates to an overseas league and not the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The clarification came from BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla following widespread debate and backlash on social media after the Pakistan cricketer was picked by a franchise owned by an Indian business group.
BCCI Distances Itself from the Decision
Speaking to IANS, Shukla said the governing body does not control decisions taken by franchises participating in foreign leagues.
“Look, this is their own decision because this is not our league. This has not been done for the IPL; it has been done for a league outside India. It is entirely their own decision. There is some league in England for which they are doing this,” Shukla said.
The statement was issued after fans questioned how a franchise owned by an Indian entity could sign a Pakistan player given the long-standing absence of Pakistan cricketers from the IPL.
The signing of Abrar Ahmed, one of Pakistan’s prominent mystery spinners, triggered strong reactions on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Some fans criticised the franchise and its ownership, accusing them of going against the informal trend followed by IPL-linked teams of avoiding Pakistani players in global leagues.
Amid the backlash, the official X account of Sunrisers Leeds was briefly suspended, though it has since been restored.
Sunrisers Leeds is part of the Sun Group’s expanding global cricket portfolio. The media conglomerate Sun TV Network, which owns Sunrisers Hyderabad (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SA20), acquired the franchise formerly known as Northern Superchargers.
The acquisition was completed last year after Sun Group bought:
- 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
- 51% stake from Yorkshire County Cricket Club
The deal was reportedly valued at around £100 million, marking one of the biggest investments by an IPL ownership group in a foreign T20 competition.
Pakistan players have not participated in the IPL since 2009, following political tensions between India and Pakistan.
In recent years, IPL franchise owners who operate teams in global leagues such as The Hundred, SA20, ILT20, and Major League Cricket have largely avoided signing Pakistani cricketers.
However, the ECB clarified last month that player selections in The Hundred auction would be based purely on cricketing merit, availability, and team requirements, without restrictions related to nationality.
Pakistan Players in The Hundred Auction
Abrar Ahmed was not the first Pakistan player sold during Thursday’s auction.
Earlier, mystery spinner Usman Tariq was signed by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000.
Meanwhile, several prominent Pakistan players went unsold, including:
- Saim Ayub
- Haris Rauf
- Shadab Khan
The auction results highlighted the mixed demand for Pakistan cricketers in overseas franchise leagues.
Why This Matters
The controversy underscores the complex relationship between global franchise leagues and geopolitics in cricket. While Pakistan players remain absent from the IPL, their participation in other international leagues continues to raise debates, especially when franchises are owned by Indian companies.
The situation also reflects the growing global footprint of IPL team owners, many of whom now operate teams across multiple leagues worldwide.
Our Final Thoughts
The BCCI’s clarification makes it clear that overseas franchise leagues operate independently of the IPL’s policies. However, the signing of Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds shows how global franchise cricket is increasingly intersecting with political sensitivities, especially when players from rival cricketing nations are involved.