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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed has been signed by an Indian-owned franchise during the player auction for England&rsquo;s The Hundred tournament, a move that has triggered criticism and debate among cricket fans across India.&nbsp;Sunrisers Leeds, a team owned by Sun Group, which also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), secured the Pakistani spinner for $255,00 (&pound;190,000) during the auction held in London.&nbsp;The team&rsquo;s head coach, Daniel Vettori explained that the decision saying, &ldquo;We just planned for everyone who was at the auction, there wasn&rsquo;t a discussion about no Pakistan players.&rdquo; He added, &ldquo;It was simply about who was the best option available.&rdquo;&nbsp;The signing makes Abrar Ahmed the first Pakistani cricketer to be picked by a franchise owned by Indian investors in The Hundred tournament, despite long-standing tensions between the two rivals, with no Pakistani players participating in the IPL since 2009.&nbsp;The development has drawn sharp reactions from Indian fans on social media, with most criticizing the decision and the franchise owners.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; 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visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 720px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2032148313701781576"></iframe></div></div> Abrar Ahmed has represented Pakistan in Twenty20 internationals since making his debut in 2024 and has taken more than 50 wickets in the format.&nbsp;His selection also appears to counter earlier reports suggesting that teams in The Hundred with links to the IPL might avoid signing Pakistani players due to political sensitivities.&nbsp;The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had earlier reminded franchises that players must not be excluded from the competition on the basis of nationality.&nbsp;The bidding during the auction was conducted by Sunrisers chief executive Kavya Maran, who represented the franchise during the player selection process, according to Indian media reports.&nbsp;Meanwhile, mystery spinner Usman Tariq, was also picked during the auction after Birmingham Phoenix signed him for &pound;140,000, although that franchise has no ownership links to the IPL, according to international media reports.&nbsp;The Hundred tournament, which features a unique 100-ball format, is scheduled to run from July 21 to August 16 this year.

Cricket

Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed is signed by Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred auction, becoming the first Pakistani player picked by an IPL-linked franchise in the tournament, prompting backlash and criticism from Indian fans.

Articles tagged with "Abrar Ahmed"

Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed signed by Indian-owned team in The Hundred, sparks backlash in India

Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed signed by Indian-owned team in The Hundred, sparks backlash in India