Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori has provided a detailed explanation behind the signing of Pakistan’s spinner, Abrar Ahmed, in the men’s player auction for The Hundred.
The Sun TV-owned franchise acquired the spinner for USD 255,000, marking a landmark moment as the first Pakistani player ever signed by an Indian-owned team in the tournament’s history.
Vettori clarified that the decision was driven by the dynamics of supply and demand during the auction process. The team had initially targeted local talent but had to look abroad once their primary targets were off the board.
“Once we missed out on Adil Rashid, who was our priority early on, we looked at overseas spinners. Abrar was one of four or five players on our radar, and we are very pleased to have him,” Vettori stated following the conclusion of the draft. He emphasized that the quality required for the conditions at Headingley was not available locally, necessitating an overseas search.
“There wasn’t any discussion about not picking Pakistani players. We just focused on who was the best option,” he added.
Pakistani players have not participated in the Indian Premier League since the inaugural 2008 season due to geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
