New Delhi: Agreement with Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed Sunrisers Leeds’ 2026 player auction took social media by storm in India, but the head coach Daniel Vettori explained that the move was purely a cricketing decision after the franchise lost the English star Adil Rashid.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Sun TV Network-owned Sunrisers Leeds snapped up Abrar for US$255,000 in the first men’s auction for The Hundred, making him the first Pakistani player to be selected by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament. The decision drew criticism from some fans in India who questioned the move and targeted franchise owner Kavya Maran on social media.
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Speaking after the auction, Vettori said the team’s strategy changed after Rashid was snapped up by Southern Brew.Also read: Sunrisers Leeds’ official X account was suspended shortly after signing Abrar Ahmed.“Once we lost Adil Rashid, who was a priority initially, then obviously we jumped into the overseas spinner market. There were four or five guys we were looking at, and Abrar was one of them. It was great to get him,” Vettori said.
He insisted that there had been no internal discussions about avoiding Pakistani players, despite earlier reports suggesting a possible ban on Indian-owned teams.“We only planned for whoever was in the auction. There was no discussion about not picking Pakistani players. It was just about who was the best option available,” he explained.Vettori added that the franchise had identified several foreign spinners, including Usman Tariq and Rashad Hussain, before making a final decision on Abrar.Vettori said, “It’s a mystery. Not many English players have seen him much. He played against Australia recently and the feedback from his players was that he is tough to face, with a lot of variation and ability to attack in the powerplay and in the middle overs.”According to the former New Zealand captain, Abrar’s skills could be particularly valuable at the Headingley Cricket Ground, where spinners have historically played a decisive role.“The spinners have been successful there. Someone like Abrar can make a huge difference for us,” he added.
