Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A storm surrounding Abrar Ahmed’s signing in The Hundred continued to grow after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi posted a pointed message that appeared aimed at Kavya Maran and her franchise, Sunrisers Leeds.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the same group behind Sunrisers Hyderabad, picked Abrar for £190,000 (approx. Rs 2.34 crore) at the inaugural men’s Hundred auction in London. The move triggered a massive backlash in India, given the long-standing absence of Pakistani players from IPL-linked ecosystems.Without naming anyone directly, Lalit Modi wrote on X: “Investing 2.34 crore on a Pakistani player when the fans are already on edge? I know a thing or two about managing optics and building empires. Call me.”The controversy even led to Sunrisers Leeds’ social media account being temporarily suspended amid the outrage, underlining the scale of public reaction.Backlash, political undertones and Gavaskar’s remarksThe signing has also reignited political sensitivities tied to India-Pakistan relations. Pakistani players have not featured in the IPL since its inaugural 2008 season, following the 2008 Mumbai attacks and subsequent diplomatic fallout.The debate escalated after Sunil Gavaskar criticised the move, calling it an indirect way of funding Pakistan’s military — remarks that drew sharp reactions across the cricketing community.Pakistan-born England cricketer Azeem Rafiq slammed Gavaskar’s comments, posting: “This is absolutely ridiculous & should be condemned… Vile stuff.”Despite the uproar, a telecomasia.net report indicated that Abrar remains unfazed. Ranked third in the ICC T20I bowlers rankings, the mystery spinner is focused on his career and opportunities in global leagues.“The noise on Abrar’s signing is not unexpected, but he is not losing sleep over the uproar,” sources close to the Pakistan Cricket Board said.Franchise stands firm amid ECB scrutinySunrisers Leeds coach Daniel Vettori defended the decision, stating that Abrar was among several top overseas spinner options after they missed out on Adil Rashid.“Very pleased to get him,” Vettori said, backing the selection purely on cricketing merit.With tensions between India and Pakistan still strained following recent geopolitical flashpoints, Abrar’s signing has become more than just a cricketing decision.
