CHENNAI: Just after noon on Thursday at Piccadilly Lights in London, there was a landmark moment in the world of franchise cricket. An Indian Premier League (IPL) linked team signed a Pakistan player at auction in the Hundred. Sunrisers Leeds, who also own the Hyderabad side, raised the paddle for Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed to spark a bidding war.
In the end, Sun TV, the Indian media giant, ended up buying the mystery spinner for over $250,000. It’s the first time a side with direct links to the IPL has bought a Pakistan player in the league’s history. Three other sides in the Hundred have investors who have stakes in the IPL.
It’s significant because a few weeks ago, a report did the rounds saying IPL-linked teams were planning on not signing any Pakistan players. It prompted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to remind all the teams of consequences if there was discrimination based on nationality.
Last year, there were no men’s players in any of the Hundred teams, exactly at a time when the ECB opened it up to Indian investment. It’s also important to keep in mind that no teams in the SA20 — all six teams are owned by investors who also have significant IPL stakes — have purchased a Pakistan cricketer in three years.
Sun TV, interestingly, also own a team there (Eastern Cape). But Pakistan players have previously featured in IPL’s sister teams.
Sun TV’s acquisition of Ahmed, who has a steller record in international cricket, has invited some vitriol on social media, with several Indian fans upset with it.
Mystery spinner Tariq bought by non-IPL franchise
Apart from Ahmed, the only other Pakistan cricketer to have been bought in auction was Usman Tariq. Birmingham Phoenix, who has American ownership, signed him for £140,000. There were 13 Pak players in the men’s auction after pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi withdrew. None of them attracted bids when they were made available for sale, though they could re-enter the auction again.