Abrar Ahmed’s addition to the Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds franchise has been the key talking point from the Men’s Hundred auction in the UK. The Pakistani spinner joins the franchise after whisperings of the four Indian-owned franchises in the Hundred placing a ‘shadow ban’ on players from Pakistan following the worsening of tensions in the last year.
However, the decision to add Abrar for £190,000 to the Sunrisers franchise has seen massive criticism pile on the team, which looks over the Hyderabad team in the IPL and the Eastern Cape in the SA20.
Why is Abrar in particular catching the ire of Indian fans?
Certain Indian fans did not want Pakistan players to represent the teams which have a presence in the IPL – in the Hundred, these are MI London, Southern Brave (owned by Delhi Capitals), Manchester Super Giants, and Sunrisers Leeds.
Also Read: Sunrisers Leeds' official Twitter account suspended after buying Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed
27-year-old Abrar is known in India for his infamous tea celebrations following wickets against the men in blue, which has been interpreted as a mockery of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the pilot who was captured in Pakistani territory.
Was there an official shadow ban on Pakistani players?
{{/usCountry}}27-year-old Abrar is known in India for his infamous tea celebrations following wickets against the men in blue, which has been interpreted as a mockery of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the pilot who was captured in Pakistani territory.
Was there an official shadow ban on Pakistani players?
{{/usCountry}}Nearly 60 Pakistan players signed up for this year’s Hundred auction, but reports that Indian franchises would not bid for any of them caused panic within the ECB. They quickly released a statement saying inclusivity was key to the venture and that no such rule would be allowed.
Also Read: Sunrisers Leeds break silence on acquiring Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in Hundred auction: 'Usman Tariq also on radar'
What did the Sunrisers franchise say?
Here is what coach Daniel Vettori said to explain the purchase of Abrar, who is the third-highest-ranked spinner in T20I cricket. For the Kiwi, it was all about the cricket field.
“After we missed out on Adil Rashid, the priority was going to get a spin bowler, and we didn't think that quality was in the local market, so we had to jump overseas. Rishad Hussain, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed - they were all guys that were on our radar,” explained Vettori, naming Bangladesh’s Rishad and a pair of Pakistan bowlers.
"It's a bit of mystery. I don't think there are a lot of English players who have seen him, and he recently played in that Australian series… Spinners have been the only ones who have really succeeded (at Headingley). To have him there is going to be a big difference for us,” he said.
Backlash includes suspension of the X account
At the forefront of the negative online response to Abrar's purchase was the CEO of the Sunrisers group, Kavya Maran. Maran was present at the auction table alongside Vettori and is a visible owner whenever the Hyderabad team participate in the IPL. The Sunrisers' social media channels and Maran herself were subjected to significant hate and abuse over their decision.
Another odd fallout from the incident was the suspension of the Sunrisers Leeds X account in the hours following Abrar’s purchase.