Abrar Ahmed has found himself at the centre of a fresh India-Pakistan cricket controversy after receiving clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to participate in The Hundred 2026 for Sunrisers Leeds, a franchise owned by Kavya Maran.
The PCB, headed by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, granted the Pakistan spinner a No Objection Certificate (NOC), allowing him to feature in the tournament despite growing social media criticism surrounding his association with an Indian-owned franchise.
Abrar was signed by Sunrisers Leeds during The Hundred 2026 player auction for £190,000 (approximately INR 2.34 crore). While overseas signings are common in franchise cricket, the move triggered intense debate online due to the strained political and cricketing relations between India and Pakistan.
The controversy gained momentum as Abrar became the first Pakistani cricketer in nearly two decades to be signed by a franchise linked to an Indian Premier League ownership group.
Despite the backlash, Sunrisers Leeds chose to stand by their decision and retained Abrar in the squad. The PCB’s approval has now officially cleared the spinner to participate in the competition.
Former New Zealand captain and Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori later revealed that the franchise had also considered other Pakistan spinners during the auction process, including Usman Tariq.
“We just planned for everyone who was in the auction. There wasn’t a discussion about not picking Pakistan players — it was simply about identifying the best options available,” Vettori said.
“After missing out on Adil Rashid, we wanted an overseas spinner. Rishad Hossain, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed were all players on our radar,” he added.
Sunrisers Leeds Squad For The Hundred 2026
Ryan Rickelton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Nathan Ellis, Tom Alsop, Mitchell Marsh, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Zak Crawley, Benjamin Howell, Abrar Ahmed, Tom Lawes, Reece Topley, Liam Patterson-White and Edward Barnard.
