The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued its first official response following the intense social media backlash surrounding Sunrisers Leeds and their acquisition of Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed. On Friday, March 13, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla clarified that the Indian cricket board has no jurisdiction over the decisions made by franchises in foreign leagues.
“They Have to Take a Call” — BCCI Distances Itself
The signing of the 27-year-old leg-spinner for £190,000 (approx. ₹2.34 crore) during The Hundred auction has sparked an uproar in India, primarily due to past remarks attributed to Ahmed regarding the Indian Armed Forces. However, the BCCI has made it clear that it will not intervene in the matter.
“It is not in our domain (IPL), they have done it for some foreign league. They will have to take a call; we cannot do anything,” Shukla told news agency ANI on Friday afternoon.
Speaking further to reporters in Delhi, Shukla reiterated that the BCCI’s authority is limited to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic interests. According to the board official, the responsibility for the selection and its consequences rests solely with the franchise management.
The Historic and Controversial Signing
Abrar Ahmed’s move to Sunrisers Leeds, a team owned by the Sun TV Network, is significant as he is the first Pakistani international to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in The Hundred. While other IPL-linked owners in the league reportedly maintained a “shadow ban” on Pakistani talent, the Kavya Maran-led Sunrisers broke ranks to secure the mystery spinner.
The Sun Group completed a full takeover of the Leeds-based franchise last year, purchasing a 49% stake from the ECB and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire for approximately £100 million. Despite owning sister franchises in the IPL (Sunrisers Hyderabad) and SA20 (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), this is the first time the group has signed an active Pakistani player.
Backlash and Account Suspension
The decision has led to severe trolling of CEO Kavya Maran, with critics highlighting Ahmed’s mocking of the Indian Air Force during the events surrounding Operation Sindoor in May last year. Following the surge of “Anti-National Sunrisers” hashtags, the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of Sunrisers Leeds was notably suspended on Friday, as per reports from Republic World and Hindustan Times.
The Sunrisers management, including head coach Daniel Vettori, has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the public demand to reverse the signing.
