Sunrisers Leeds opened the bidding for Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed at £130,000 before increasing their offer to fend off competition from Trent Rockets.
Abrar Ahmed, the talented leg-spinner, has been signed by the Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 ($254,201) in Thursday’s men’s auction for The Hundred.
The signing comes despite earlier media speculation that Indian-owned franchises might steer clear of signing Pakistani players.
In February, the BBC reported that several franchises, including [“sports_team”,”Manchester Super Giants”,”The Hundred franchise”], [“sports_team”,”MI London”,”The Hundred franchise”], [“sports_team”,”Southern Brave”,”The Hundred franchise”], and Sunrisers Leeds, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and all eight franchises emphasized that selection must not discriminate based on nationality.
Abrar Ahmed has represented Pakistan in 38 Twenty20 matches since his 2024 debut, taking 52 wickets at an economy rate of 6.67.
Sunrisers Leeds opened the bidding for 27-year-old Abrar Ahmed at £130,000 before raising their offer to fend off interest from Trent Rockets “,”Pakistan cricketer”], who ultimately joined Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf went unsold.
Pakistani players have effectively been barred from the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009.
The highest price in the first half of the auction was paid for 21-year-old Sussex all-rounder James Colescricketer”], who was bought by London Spirit for £390,000. Meanwhile, Welsh Fire signed former England captain Joe Root and Jordan Cox.
The Hundred, the only league in the world to use a 100-ball format, will take place from July 21 to August 16. Last year, the competition opened to private investment, with four franchises acquired by IPL owners.
About the Author
