LONDON – Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the Sunrisers franchise after it signed Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for The Hundred.
Abrar Ahmed was picked by the Sunrisers-owned team, led by Kavya Maran, during the recent player draft for £190,000.
The development has sparked debate in cricketing circles, as it highlights the rare instance of a Pakistani player being signed by a franchise associated with Indian ownership in an overseas league.
In his column, Gavaskar raised concerns over the decision, stating that payments made to Pakistani players could eventually contribute to Pakistan’s government through taxation, which he termed a matter of concern from India’s standpoint.
Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the Indian-owned franchise Sunrisers Leeds for signing Abrar Ahmed in the The Hundred Draft.
Gavaskar said that money paid to players from Pakistan could indirectly contribute to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians, expressing strong… pic.twitter.com/egKRfqqkuR
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) March 16, 2026
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) clarified that The Hundred does not fall under its jurisdiction and, therefore, it cannot intervene in the matter.
