A controversial player signing in The Hundred has sparked debate across the cricket world and drawn sharp criticism from one of India’s most prominent cricket voices.
Sunrisers Leeds, an Indian-owned franchise competing in England’s 100-ball tournament, recently signed Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed at the 2026 player auction. Writing about the reaction in his column for Mid-day, Sunil Gavaskar said the backlash surrounding the decision was predictable given the political history between the two countries and the absence of Pakistani cricketers from Indian franchise competitions.
Gavaskar says backlash over signing was predictable
Abrar Ahmed, who has represented Pakistan in 10 Tests, 16 ODIs and 38 T20Is, was bought by Sunrisers Leeds for GBP 190,000 (approx. US$255K). The franchise is owned by the Sun Group, which also operates Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa’s SA20 league.
Pakistani cricketers have not appeared in the IPL since the tournament’s inaugural season in 2008, following the Mumbai terror attacks later that year.
Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day, “The furore created by the acquisition of a Pakistani player by the Indian owner of a franchise in The Hundred is hardly surprising. Ever since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, Indian franchise owners have simply ignored Pakistani players for the IPL. Although belated, the realisation that the fees that they pay to a Pakistani player, who then pays income tax to his government, which buys arms and weapons, indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians, is making Indian entities refrain from even considering having Pakistani artistes and sportspersons.”
Gavaskar further argued that the responsibility ultimately rests with the franchise ownership when payments are made to players from Pakistan, regardless of where the team operates.
“Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity that is making the payment, if the owner is Indian, then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties,” he continued.
Gavaskar questions franchise leadership and priorities
The former India Captain also questioned whether cricketing success in a foreign tournament should take precedence over broader national sensitivities.
“It’s as simple as that. Daniel Vettori, the coach of the team in The Hundred who hails from New Zealand, may not have understood this simple dynamic, and so may have wanted some Pakistani players on his team, but surely the owner should have understood the situation and discouraged the purchase. Is winning a tournament in a format that no other country plays in much more important than Indian lives?” he added.
Gavaskar also warned that the signing could lead to public protests from Indian supporters during matches involving the franchise.
“It won’t be a surprise that for every game that this team plays, whether at home or away, there will be massive demonstrations by Indian fans protesting at this hard-to-believe buying. In fact, it won’t be a surprise that despite having some of the most attractive stroke makers in their team, the crowds may stay away and show their disapproval of the decision,” he wrote.
BCCI says overseas franchise decisions fall outside its authority
While the controversy has intensified online, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has clarified that it cannot intervene in decisions made by franchises in overseas leagues such as The Hundred.
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla told ANI, “Our domain is limited to the IPL. We have nothing to do with what they do in a league outside that. How can we prevent them from signing a player in a foreign league? That’s up to them. It’s purely up to the franchise that has bought a team outside India. If they are taking some player outside India in that league, we are least concerned because, in the IPL, there is no such player.
Gavaskar suggests franchise could still reverse the decision
Despite the criticism, Gavaskar indicated that the franchise still has an opportunity to reconsider the move before the season begins.
“There’s still time to undo the wrong, and hopefully wiser counsels will prevail,” he stated.
Sunrisers Leeds are scheduled to begin their campaign in The Hundred against MI London at Kennington Oval on July 21.
