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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

LONDON: Pakistani players will not be <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/english-stars-call-out-indianowned-cricket-franchises-over-pakistan-boycott-row" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">discriminated</a>&nbsp;against in selection for the Hundred, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Tuesday, despite reports they could be overlooked due to political tensions with India. The BBC reported last week that the four Indian-owned franchises of the eight-team competition &mdash; Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds &mdash; were not considering Pakistani players for next month&#39;s auction. A total of 67 Pakistan players &mdash; 63 men and four women &mdash; have submitted themselves for selection. &quot;The England and Wales Cricket Board and all eight of The Hundred team franchises reaffirm their commitment to ensuring The Hundred continues to be a competition that is inclusive, welcoming and open to all,&quot; the ECB said in a statement. &quot;All eight teams commit to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team.&quot; Players from Pakistan have not featured in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions between the two countries. With several IPL owners now owning teams in multiple countries, opportunities for Pakistani cricketers to participate in other leagues are in danger of being further reduced. Players will go under the hammer in London on March 11 and 12. Former England captain Michael Vaughan had been among those to call for action from the ECB over the rumors. &quot;They own the league and this should not be allowed to happen,&quot; said Vaughan, who referenced the ECB&#39;s stated aim of cricket becoming the most inclusive sport in England. &quot;The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen.&quot;

Players from Pakistan have not featured in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of tensions between the two neighbors; players will go under the hammer in London on March 11 and 12; former England captain Michael Vaughan among those to call for action from the ECB over rumors.

ECB insists Pakistani players will not be frozen out of the Hundred

ISLAMABAD: English cricketers have come out in support of Pakistan players after reports claimed that Indian-owned franchises in The Hundred may overlook them during the upcoming player auction. According to BBC Sport, four teams with ownership links to the Indian Premier League are not considering Pakistan players for the draft scheduled for March 11 and 12. The development has sparked concern across the English cricket community, with senior players warning that any exclusion based on nationality would damage the league&rsquo;s credibility. Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali said it would be a &ldquo;massive shame&rdquo; if Pakistan players were ignored. &ldquo;In the UK, I&rsquo;m not sure that can happen &mdash; and I hope it doesn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; he told Telegraph Sport on Monday, adding that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) would be expected to keep a close watch. Former England batter Mark Butcher also criticized the reported move, saying the issue goes beyond legal considerations.&nbsp; Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Podcast, he said: &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t just a legal thing, it is an optics thing,&rdquo; warning that any perceived exclusion of Pakistan players would damage the league&rsquo;s image and credibility.<div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVG6kvMEv0y/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=687&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2Fnew#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A7721786%2C%22ls%22%3A834.1000000238419%2C%22le%22%3A1117.300000011921%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="920" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</iframe></div>Previously, England&rsquo;s limited-overs captain Harry Brook had also expressed disappointment at the prospect. &ldquo;Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years and have some awesome players, some of the best players in the world,&rdquo; Brook said. &ldquo;It would be a shame not to see some of them in The Hundred.&rdquo; Former England captain Michael Vaughan urged the ECB to intervene, saying the board owns the competition and should ensure that all players are treated fairly.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 975px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2024783177613504772&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=0f788f5019564c51946ce9062ca401b85a0de722&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2024783177613504772"></iframe></div></div>The ECB has written to franchises to reiterate that The Hundred is open to players from around the world and that recruitment decisions must align with the league&rsquo;s inclusive principles. A total of 67 Pakistan cricketers have registered for the auction, including leading names such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf. The issue has raised broader questions about the influence of franchise ownership structures and the balance between global cricket politics and domestic league governance, as pressure mounts on The Hundred&rsquo;s organizers to ensure a transparent and merit-based auction process.

Four The Hundred teams with ownership links to the Indian Premier League are not considering Pakistan players for the draft scheduled for March 11 and 12.

Articles tagged with "The Hundred"

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

ECB insists Pakistani players will not be frozen out of the Hundred

English stars call out Indian-owned cricket franchises over Pakistan boycott row