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Sunrisers Leeds coach Daniel Vettori explains signing Abrar Ahmed after missing out on Adil Rashid, sparking controversy.
Abrar Ahmed has been picked by Sunrisers Leeds (Picture credit: AP)
Sunrisers Leeds coach Daniel Vettori has said that it became a necessity for the team to choose Abrar Ahmed after they couldn’t pay money for Adil Rashid and needed to go for an overseas spinner, whilst the franchise received immense backlash on social media over signing a Pakistan cricketer.
The Sun TV-owned team bagged Abrar Ahmed for USD 255,000, making him the primary Pakistani to be signed by an Indian-owned team in The Hundred. The step has sparked controversy in India, with many fans criticising Sunrisers Leeds and owner Kavya Maran on social media for ignoring national sentiment.
The official X account of Sunrisers Leeds has been suspended as well, as outrage continues to mount on social media. The team’s ownership has yet to handle the backlash, but Vettori stated that the choice was driven by auction supply and demand, with Ahmed pursued after Rashid became unavailable.
“Once we missed out on Adil Rashid [to Southern Brave], who was a priority early on, then we obviously jumped into the overseas spinner. There have been 4 or five guys that we were and Abrar was considered one of them,” Vettori said after the auction.
“Very happy to get him,” Vettori added.
Sun TV Network accomplished its takeover of the Northern Superchargers last yr, acquiring a 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
But no other Indian-owned team within the auction signed a Pakistani cricketer.
Earlier, reports had suggested a shadow ban on Pakistani players for Indian-owned teams in The Hundred. But all eight franchises later issued an announcement clarifying that cricketer selection could be based on merit and cricketing ability.
While Vettori avoided commenting on India-Pakistan relations, he confirmed that the coaches and management never discussed excluding Pakistani cricketers within the auction.
March 13, 2026, 10:53 IST
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