Sleep isn’t hard to find for Pakistan’s spin bowler Abrar Ahmed, even as voices rise over his new deal with Sunrisers Leeds – an English team owned by the same group behind Sunrisers Hyderabad. A post earlier this week noted that reactions, including those thought to come from ex-Indian star Sunil Gavaskar, haven’t shaken him. He once held the second spot in ICC rankings, slipped only recently to third. Last week brought a contract worth 190,000 Pounds. Though anger flares among some fans in India, the player stays focused elsewhere. His mind remains clear, says Telecom Asia Sport.
That move? A backdoor payment to Pakistan’s army, said Gavaskar – forces now responsible for Indian troop deaths.
Though the Pakistan Cricket Board stays quiet alongside Abrar about the criticism, insiders mention everything remains calm since the issue sits only with England and Wales Cricket Board plus the team owners. Quiet continues on their front even as talks circulate behind closed doors.
“The noise on Abrar’s signing is not unexpected, but he is not losing sleep over the uproar,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sources told www.telecomasia.net.
“Abrar registered for The Hundred as he is ready to ply his trade in the leagues around the world and was signed as one of the top three bowlers in T20I rankings, which is well deserved,” the report said, quoting sources.
“The coach of Sunrisers Leeds, Daniel Vettori, conveyed the signing to Abrar and advised him to be in touch and prepared to give his best,” the sources said.
Vettori knows spin well, having bowled in 442 international matches for New Zealand. He stood behind the move.
“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 after the conclusion of the auction.
Fresh off the press Tuesday, Telecom Asia Sport noted how Abrar’s deal followed warnings from the ECB – teams might get penalized if Pakistan athletes are skipped at auction just because of where they’re from.
Only yesterday, news spread through the BBC about four India-backed franchises – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, yet also Sunrisers Leeds – stepping back from picking Pakistani players. This move ties directly to a sweeping restriction rooted in tense political currents dividing the nations.
Things fell apart completely once the bombing happened in Pahalgam, back in April of last year. Tensions climbed fast between the neighboring nations afterward. Hostility took root following the violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Trust vanished almost overnight after that deadly incident. The worst phase began right after the attack unfolded during spring. Emotions ran high since the moment news broke about Pahalgam.
New Delhi pointed fingers at Islamabad, saying it supported the strikes – Pakistan shot that down flat. Fighting lasted four days. Each side said they came out on top.
Azeem Rafiq, once captain of Pakistan’s Under-19 team and now playing for Yorkshire in Leeds, called out Gavaskar over remarks that crossed the line. Though quiet at first, he eventually spoke up when silence felt wrong. His words carried weight because they came from someone who has lived through similar moments. While some stayed neutral, he refused to let it slide. Because respect matters more than reputation. And calling out unfairness isn’t optional.
“This is absolutely ridiculous & should be condemned. How are these comments acceptable? I don’t care how many runs you have scored. Vile stuff from Gavaskar,” Rafiq wrote on social media platform X.
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