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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.

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

Hammaad Qayyum Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Television&#39;s Shamyl Hussain has set a new benchmark in Pakistan&rsquo;s domestic cricket by securing the record for the most sixes hit by an opener across both red-ball and white-ball first-class competitions this season. Hussain dominated the President&rsquo;s Cup Grade-I white-ball tournament, finishing as one of the top scorers while leading the charts with 22 sixes. The young opener narrowly edged out OGDCL&rsquo;s Maaz Sadaqat, who recorded 21 sixes, and teammate Taimur Khan, who followed with 17. Most by an opener&nbsp;Hussain&rsquo;s aggressive form translated seamlessly into the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan&rsquo;s premier red-ball competition, where he cleared the boundary 19 times &ndash; the most by an opener. Reflecting on his high-impact style, Hussain recently told Pakistan TV Digital that he views his role differently than the traditional &ldquo;anchor&rdquo; opener. &ldquo;My approach is a bit different; I want to show the world my ability and enjoy the game rather than playing it like a job,&rdquo; Hussain said. The PTV star emphasized that his confidence comes from a desire to &ldquo;express himself on any stage,&rdquo; whether in domestic leagues or national-level four-day matches. &lsquo;Dominating style&rsquo;&nbsp;Speaking about Shamyl&rsquo;s style, cricket analyst Shahid Hashmi told Pakistan TV Digital, &ldquo;I have been watching Shamyl since the Pakistan Junior League, and he has impressed everyone with his dominating style of cricket.&rdquo; &ldquo;The difference between him and others is that he looks more confident at the crease than others and judges the ball well before time, and that is why he can hit sixes and fours right from the get-go.&rdquo; Hashmi said, &ldquo;Shamyl has proper shots and doesn&rsquo;t slog with eyes closed, but knows what shot and which area he is playing.&rdquo; &ldquo;He has a bright future considering he continues to progress and keeps his feet on the ground&rdquo;, the analyst said. Shamyl&#39;s power-hitting prowess extends to the global stage, as he currently holds the highest sixes count among the top 25 first-class run-scorers worldwide this year. By achieving this international feat, Hussain has surpassed established international stars, including India&rsquo;s KL Rahul and KK Nair, as well as Pakistan&rsquo;s Test captain Shan Masood.

His power-hitting prowess extends to the global stage, as he currently holds the highest sixes count among the top 25 first-class run-scorers worldwide this year, surpassing stars such as KL Rahul, KK Nair, and Shan Masood.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan cricket"

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

Pakistan Television’s Shamyl Hussain sets record for most sixes by an opener in 2025