The signing of Pakistani bowler Abrar Ahmed by Hundred franchise Sunrisers has bucked the trend of Indian-owned teams.
Published on 17 March 2026
Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has alleged that the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by the Indian-owned Hundred franchise in England “indirectly contributes to the death of Indian soldiers and civilians”.
Pakistani players have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 due to deep diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
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There was speculation that Pakistani players involved in the inaugural Hundred auction in London would face a “shadow ban”, with IPL-affiliated teams refusing to bid for them.
That didn’t materialise, but Sunrisers Leeds – the same group that controls IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad – faced a fierce social media backlash after striking a deal for Abrar last week, paying 190,000 pounds ($252,000) for his services.
Former India captain Gavaskar, 76, launched a scathing attack in a weekend column for Indian newspaper Mid-Day.
“The fees they pay to the Pakistani player, then pay income tax to their government which buys arms and weapons, indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians,” he wrote.
“Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity making the payment, if the owner is Indian he or she is contributing to Indian casualties.”
Three hundred other franchises – MI London, Manchester Super Giants, and Southern Brave – are at least partially owned by the companies that control the IPL teams.
US-backed Birmingham Phoenix picked up Usman Tariq, the only Pakistani player bought in the auction.
The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement last month saying all eight franchises in the 100-ball-a-side competition were committed to selection based on performance alone.
India and Pakistan, which engaged in deadly conflict in May last year, have not played a bilateral series for over a decade and have met only in global or regional tournaments.
“There is still time to undo the mistake, and hopefully, wise counsel will prevail,” added Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
