NEW DELHI: In a rare instance of a Pakistani cricketer being picked by an Indian Premier League (IPL)-backed franchise, Abrar Ahmed’s signing at The Hundred auction could leave the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a tricky spot, with the spinner’s availability potentially clashing with Pakistan’s bilateral tour commitments.
Abrar was bought by Sunrisers Leeds, a franchise controlled by the owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad, for £190,000 (around PKR 7 crore) after a bidding war with Trent Rockets, making it the first Indian-owned franchise to sign a Pakistani player since 2009. No active Pakistani player had previously played for a Sunrisers-backed franchise in the IPL or the SA20.
However, the mystery spinner may not receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) as the Pakistan national cricket team is scheduled to tour West Indies for a two-match Test series during the window of The Hundred.
Pakistan are due to play a two-match Test series against the West Indies. The tour is scheduled from July 15 to August 7 and features two Tests and a four-day warm-up match. Meanwhile, The Hundred will run for four weeks, starting on July 21 and ending on August 16.
Before the auction, there was considerable scrutiny over whether the IPL linked franchises would bid for Pakistani players, despite all eight teams having earlier committed to making their selections solely on “performance, availability, and the needs of each team” ahead of the auction.
The ECB and the franchises later issued a joint statement stressing that players cannot be excluded on the basis of nationality in The Hundred.
However, TimesofIndia.com has learnt that the 27-year-old might not receive an NOC from the PCB.
“He might not play The Hundred, given the fact that Pakistan is playing a two match Test series against West Indies,” a source tracking the development told this website.
Abrar is not Pakistan’s leading spinner in Tests, with Noman Ali and Sajid Khan in the team. However, he will still need the green signal from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The amount Abrar would earn from The Hundred would easily place him among the top-eight highest earners in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
“It is a lot of money. His agent has put his name in the auction, which means he is confident of getting the NOC. He is also among the few current Pakistani cricketers who have a good relationship with the PCB chief. The chances of him playing in The Hundred are 50-50,” said a PCB source.
Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori explained the reason behind the franchise’s bid for the 27-year-old.
“Once we missed out on Adil Rashid, who was a priority early on, we obviously jumped into the overseas spinner category,” Vettori said after the auction. “There were four or five players we were looking at and Abrar was one of them. We are very pleased to get him.”
Abrar Ahmed might not play The Hundred, given the fact that Pakistan is playing a two match Test series against West Indies
A TOI source
Vettori also stressed that apart from Abrar, another Pakistani mystery spinner, Usman Tariq, was also on their radar.
“We had planned for everyone who was in the auction. After we missed out on Adil Rashid, the priority was to get a spin bowler and we did not think that quality was available in the local market, so we had to go overseas. Rishad Hossain, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed were all players on our radar.
“It’s a bit of mystery. I do not think many English players have faced him and he recently played in that Australian series. The feedback from the Australian players was that he would be tricky to face, with a lot of variations and the ability to strike in the powerplay and also through the middle overs, which is a key requirement at Headingley. Spinners have been the ones who have really succeeded there. Having him there will make a big difference for us.”
Apart from Abrar, Usman Tariq was the other Pakistani cricketer who was acquired during The Hundred auction, bought by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (about PKR 5.21 crore). Phoenix have no IPL connection. Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, opener Saim Ayub and all rounder Shadab Khan went unsold. Seasoned left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi had earlier withdrawn from the auction. The only two Pakistan players in Wednesday’s women’s Hundred auction, Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal, also went unsold.
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