BCCI Unconcerned Over Sunrisers Leeds Signing Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed In The Hundred

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla clarified that the board is not concerned about Abrar Ahmed joining Sunrisers Leeds

The signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds in the The Hundred auction has sparked debate among cricket fans in India. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear that it does not view the move as an issue.

Speaking on Friday (March 13), BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla stated that the board does not interfere in player signings outside the Indian Premier League ecosystem. According to Shukla, the board’s jurisdiction is limited strictly to the IPL, and decisions made by franchises in foreign leagues fall outside its authority.

“Our domain is limited to the IPL. We have nothing to do with what they do in a league outside that. How can we interfere with them signing a player in a foreign league? That’s up to them. It’s purely up to the franchise that has bought a team outside India. If they are taking some player outside India in that league, we are least concerned because, in IPL, there is no such player,” Shukla told ANI on Friday.

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The Hundred Deal and Fan Reactions

The 27-year-old leg-spinner has represented Pakistan across formats and was picked up by Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 (approximately ₹2.34 crore) to feature in the England and Wales Cricket Board’s flagship 100-ball competition.

The signing triggered strong reactions on social media in India, with some fans revisiting past comments by Ahmed that were perceived as political during last year’s India-Pakistan tensions. Despite the criticism, the franchise proceeded with the deal, making him one of the notable overseas signings in the tournament.

Sunrisers Leeds is owned by the Sun Group, which also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

Historical Context of India-Pakistan Restrictions in Leagues

Indian sports teams, particularly IPL franchises, have largely avoided signing Pakistani players for years due to the strained political relationship between India and Pakistan. As Indian cricket investments expanded into global franchise leagues, this unofficial restriction was often believed to extend to teams owned by Indian companies in other competitions as well.

The Sun Group, along with three other Indian business groups, recently acquired stakes in multiple teams in The Hundred. This led to speculation that the same restrictions seen in tournaments like SA20 might also apply in England’s competition.

However, the presence of a large Pakistani diaspora in England, along with international cricketers of Pakistani heritage such as Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, has kept the debate alive. Moeen had earlier warned that allowing discrimination against Pakistani players could lead to some form of response from cricketers.

Following these concerns, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and all participating franchises released a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to inclusivity and opposition to discrimination within the competition.