Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori has defended the franchise’s decision to sign Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed during the The Hundred player auction, saying the mystery spinner was a priority target despite the controversy surrounding the move. The signing sparked criticism on social media as Abrar became the first Pakistan player to be picked by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament.

Sunrisers Leeds is owned by the Chennai-based Sun Group, which also runs the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. The franchise secured Abrar for £190,000 (around ₹2.34 crore) after a bidding contest with Trent Rockets. Sunrisers Hyderabad co-owner Kavya Maran was present at the auction and actively participated in the bidding process.

Explaining the decision, Vettori said the team had entered the auction with the freedom to pick from all available players and was not instructed to avoid cricketers from any particular country. He highlighted Abrar’s unique skill set and variations as key factors behind the franchise’s decision, noting that many domestic players in the competition may not have faced the Pakistani spinner before.

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The signing drew significant attention given the complex cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan, where bilateral series have remained suspended for years due to political tensions. Despite that backdrop, Vettori said the franchise’s focus during the auction remained purely on cricketing strategy and team balance rather than geopolitical considerations.

Abrar was one of only two Pakistani players sold in the auction. Another mystery spinner, Usman Tariq, was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (around ₹1.72 crore). Unlike Sunrisers Leeds, Birmingham Phoenix has no ownership links to teams in the Indian Premier League, making Abrar’s signing by an Indian-owned franchise particularly notable.

Several other Pakistani players, including fast bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounder Saim Ayub, and spinner Shadab Khan, went unsold in the auction. Veteran pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi had earlier withdrawn his name. The upcoming season of The Hundred is scheduled to run from July 21 to August 16, with teams finalising their squads following the auction

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