NEW DELHI: Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed was bought by SunRisers Leeds for £190,000 at the Hundred Player Auction 2026 on Thursday, putting an end to speculation that teams linked to the Indian Premier League (IPL) might avoid signing Pakistani players. The franchise, co-owned by Kavya Maran, competed strongly in the bidding and beat Trent Rockets to secure the mystery spinner.Earlier in the auction, Usman Tariq became the first Pakistani player to be picked when Birmingham Phoenix signed him for £140,000.
However, several other Pakistan stars did not find buyers. Fast bowler Haris Rauf and all-rounders Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub remained unsold at the time of writing.Meanwhile, Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi had already withdrawn from the auction before bidding began. The ECB confirmed that Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, AM Ghazanfar, and Peter Siddle also pulled out. The likely reason was scheduling clashes with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and other international commitments.Afridi’s withdrawal still left 13 Pakistani players available in the men’s auction pool. The situation had drawn attention after speculation that franchises with IPL links might avoid picking Pakistani players.Responding to the debate, the ECB and the eight franchises issued a joint clarification, saying selections would be based on “performance, availability, and the needs of each team.”Pakistan also had a disappointing outcome in the women’s auction held a day earlier. None of the Pakistani women players were selected. Muneeba Ali, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal, and captain Fatima Sana had all entered the auction with a base price of £15,000, but they did not receive any bids.
