IPL-linked Sunrisers Leeds sign Abrar Ahmed for The Hundred

Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was snapped up by Sunrisers Leeds — a Hundred franchise with links to the Indian Premier League — on Thursday despite fears Pakistani players would be frozen out due to political tensions.

The England and Wales Cricket Board last month issued a statement saying all eight of the city-based franchises in the 100-ball-a-side competition were committed to selection based solely on performances.

A longstanding political stand-off between India and Pakistan means the two nations only play each other in major global cricket events.

Cricketers from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions.

The only two Pakistan players in Wednesday’s women’s auction, Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal, went unsold.

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi withdrew from the men’s sale and fellow paceman Haris Rauf failed to attract an offer when put up for his reserve price of £100,000 at the auction in London on Thursday.

But Sunrisers bought 27-year-old Ahmed for £190,000, while fellow spinner Usman Tariq, 28, was snapped up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000.

Sunrisers are owned in full by the group behind IPL outfit Sunrisers Hyderabad.

London Spirit paid 390,000 for uncapped English all-rounder James Cole, while Welsh Fire spent a combined 540,000 on batsman Jordan Cox and former England captain Joe Root.

The Hundred is staging the first auction of its kind in a major British sport after previously using a draft system to select players.

Stakes in the eight franchises were sold last year to private investors, raising huge sums for cricket in England and Wales.

Four of the franchises — MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave — are at least part-owned by companies that control IPL teams.

The 2026 edition of the Hundred, featuring men’s and women’s competitions, starts on July 21 and runs for four weeks.