Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori has issued a response to the backlash from Indian fans after signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed during The Hundred auction. The former Black Caps skipper said that Abrar Ahmed’s selection was a pure cricketing decision based strictly on auction supply and demand.
The Sun TV-owned team bought the bowler for USD 255,000 on Thursday. He became the first Pakistani cricketer to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the English tournament. Angry fans criticized SunRisers owner Kavya Maran on social media for ignoring national sentiments to secure the leg-spinner.
Very Pleased to Get Him – Daniel Vettori on Abrar Ahmed Signing
After the conclusion of the auction on Thursday, Daniel Vettori revealed that the team originally wanted to secure England spinner Adil Rashid. Vettori said that the management immediately had to look for reliable overseas spin-bowling options after Southern Brave bought Rashid.
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“Once we missed out on Adil Rashid [to Southern Brave], who was a priority early on, then we obviously jumped into the overseas spinner,” Daniel Vettori said. “There were four or five guys that we were looking at and Abrar was one of them. Very pleased to get him.”
The official Sunrisers Leeds account on X remains entirely suspended as public outrage mounts. Meanwhile, another Pakistani bowler, Usman Tariq, also secured a contract in the auction after Birmingham Phoenix bought him for USD 187,000.
They Were All Guys That Were on Our Radar – Daniel Vettori
While active Pakistan players remain banned from the Indian Premier League due to geopolitical tensions, they continue to find opportunities in foreign leagues where Indian corporate groups own stakes in participating franchises.
Prior to the auction, there were reports suggesting Indian-owned teams would enforce a shadow ban on Pakistani cricketers. However, Vettori confirmed that the Sunrisers management never held any internal discussions about avoiding players from Pakistan.
“We just planned for everyone that was in the auction. There wasn’t a discussion [about not picking Pakistan players] – it was just who was the best option.”
“After we missed out on Adil Rashid, the priority was going to get a spin bowler and we didn’t think that quality was in the local market, so we had to jump overseas. Rishad Hussain, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed – they were all guys that were on our radar.”
Abrar Ahmed Recently Played in That Australian Series – Daniel Vettori
Vettori, who also serves as Australia assistant coach, said that he gathered crucial feedback from Australian players. They faced Abrar Ahmed during a bilateral series before the T20 World Cup 2026. Vettori said that the mystery spinner possesses tricky variations.
“It’s a bit of mystery. I don’t think there are a lot of English players who have seen him, and he recently played in that Australian series.”
“The feedback from the Australian guys was that he was going to be tricky to face, a lot of variations and an ability to strike in the powerplay, and still through the middle stages, which I think is a key requirement at Headingley. Spinners have been the only ones who have really succeeded there. To have him there is going to be a big difference for us.”
Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Sunrisers Hyderabad have never signed an active Pakistan player. The Sun Group completed a full takeover of the Northern Superchargers last year.
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