NEW DELHI: The signing of Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds at the 2026 player auction created a storm on social media in India, but head coach Daniel Vettori has explained that the move was purely a cricketing decision after the franchise missed out on England star Adil Rashid.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the Sun TV Network, secured Abrar for USD 255,000 at the inaugural men’s auction for The Hundred, making him the first Pakistani player to be picked 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 Brave.ALSO READ: Sunrisers Leeds’ official X account suspended shortly after signing Abrar Ahmed“Once we missed out on Adil Rashid, who was a priority early on, then we obviously jumped into the overseas spinner market. There were four or five guys we were looking at, and Abrar was one of them. Very pleased to get him,” Vettori said.
He stressed that there had been no internal discussions about avoiding Pakistani players despite earlier reports suggesting a possible shadow ban for Indian-owned teams.“We just planned for everyone who was at the auction. There wasn’t a discussion about not picking Pakistan players. It was simply about who was the best option available,” he explained.Vettori added that the franchise had identified several overseas spinners, including Usman Tariq and Rishad Hossain, before ultimately deciding on Abrar.“It’s a bit of a mystery. Many English players haven’t seen him much. He recently played against Australia and the feedback from their players was that he’s tricky to face, with a lot of variations and the ability to strike in the powerplay and through the middle overs,” Vettori said.According to the former New Zealand captain, Abrar’s skillset could be particularly valuable at Headingley Cricket Ground, where spinners have historically played a decisive role.“Spinners have been the ones who succeed there. Having someone like Abrar could make a big difference for us,” he added.
