A fresh debate has erupted in the cricket world after a Pakistani cricketer landed a lucrative deal in England’s popular 100-ball tournament. While fans in India reacted strongly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear that the matter does not concern them.
The controversy began when Sunrisers Leeds, the sister franchise of the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (owned by Kaviya Maran), signed Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed during the auction for The Hundred. The 27 years old spinner, who has represented Pakistan in 46 Tests, 28 ODIs and 52 T20Is, secured a deal worth £190,000 (around ₹2.34 crore) to play in the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)’s flagship tournament.
The move quickly drew criticism from sections of Indian fans, especially after some resurfaced posts in which Abrar Ahmed had previously made remarks about India during a tense India-Pakistan period last year.
However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla dismissed the controversy. He explained that the board’s authority only applies to the Indian Premier League and it cannot interfere with what franchises do in overseas leagues.
According to Rajeev Shukla, if a franchise that owns a team outside India decides to sign a particular player in that foreign competition, the decision is entirely theirs. He added that since Pakistani players are not part of the IPL ecosystem, the BCCI sees no reason to be concerned about deals happening elsewhere.
For years, Indian teams, especially IPL franchises, have effectively avoided signing Pakistani international cricketers because of the strained political relationship between India and Pakistan. As Indian cricket’s influence expanded globally through franchise ownership in leagues abroad, many believed the same informal restrictions would follow there as well.
That assumption seemed likely in The Hundred, particularly because Indian companies, including the Sun Group, own major stakes in multiple teams. Similar trends had already been seen in South Africa’s SA20 competition.
But the situation in England is different. The country has a large Pakistani immigrant population and players of Pakistani heritage such as Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are quite popular over there. Moeen Ali had previously warned that allowing discrimination against Pakistani players in the tournament could trigger strong reactions from fellow cricketers.
In response, the ECB and all participating franchises issued a joint statement emphasising inclusivity and making it clear that discrimination against players from any nationality would not be tolerated.
One thing is certain that SRH has invited fans’ hate with this act and whether fans will forgive them or not, only time will tell.
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