New Delhi, March 13: Rajeev Shukla, the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has commented on the ongoing controversy surrounding Pakistani player Abrar Ahmed’s signing by the Sunrisers Leeds in England’s The Hundred league. Shukla emphasized that this issue pertains to a foreign league and has no connection to the governing body of Indian cricket.
Shukla stated that the decision is entirely up to the franchise involved. He explained that the player acquisition is linked to a league outside India. “This is their own decision, as this is not our league. It is not for the IPL; it is for a league outside India. This is completely their own choice. There is a league in England for which they are doing this,” he remarked.
The decision by the Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds to sign Abrar has not been well-received by fans. Many took to social media platform X to criticize the team’s owners and label them as “anti-national.” This backlash led to the temporary suspension of the team’s X account, although it has since been restored.
In 2025, the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired the Leeds franchise of The Hundred, previously known as the Northern Superchargers. The franchise gained control by purchasing a 49% stake from the ECB and a 51% stake from Yorkshire.
Initial reports suggested that IPL franchise owners would avoid bidding on Pakistani players. During the early stages of the auction on Thursday, the franchise appeared to steer clear of Pakistani players. However, Sunrisers Leeds later signed Abrar Ahmed for $255,000, prompting significant criticism of the franchise.
Since 2009, no Pakistani player has participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and IPL franchise owners investing in T20 leagues worldwide have generally refrained from signing Pakistani cricketers. Nonetheless, the England and Wales Cricket Board stated last month that auction selections would be based entirely on player performance, availability, and the needs of each team.
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