PCB Clears Abrar Ahmed to Play for Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred 2026

Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed has received permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board to play in the upcoming season of The Hundred. Abrar will play for Sunrisers Leeds, owned by Kavya Maran. The franchise signed the mystery spinner for £190,000 (around INR 2.34 crore) during the players’ auction. The signing of the spinner by the Indian franchise-owned team had attracted significant controversy across social media platforms.

It was the first time in nearly two decades that a franchise owned by an IPL agglomerate secured the services of a Pakistani cricketer. Despite the backlash on social media platforms, Sunrisers remained firm on their stance and denied releasing Abrar Ahmed. However, the cricket fraternity was curious to see whether PCB would allow him to play for the Indian owned team. Eliminating all speculations, PCB provides Ahmed a green signal ahead of the tournament.

After signing Abrar Ahmed, Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori said the team wanted a world-class spinner in the squad. He revealed that England spinner Adil Rashid was their first choice. However, after missing out on Rashid, the franchise decided to sign Abrar Ahmed and completed the historic deal.

"Once we missed out on Adil Rashid [to Southern Brave], who was a priority early on, then we obviously jumped into the overseas spinner. There were four or five guys that we were looking at, and Abrar was one of them. Very pleased to get him," Daniel Vettori said.

Daniel Vettori further revealed that the franchise never had any internal discussions against signing Pakistani players, and there was no hesitation over bringing in Abrar Ahmed.

He added that the team had been closely monitoring several talented spinners, including Rishad Hossain, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed because of their quality and performances.

"We just planned for everyone who 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, and Abrar Ahmed - they were all guys that were on our radar," the Sunrisers head coach mentioned confidently.

With the Pakistan Cricket Board granting the required No Objection Certificate (NOC), Abrar Ahmed is now fully cleared to represent Sunrisers Leeds in the upcoming season of The Hundred. 

It will be interesting to see how the 27-year-old performs on English soil. He last featured during the 2026 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) during the Karachi Kings vs Quetta Gladiators match on April 25.

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