Kaviya Maran declines to address Abrar Ahmed controversy after The Hundred signing

LONDON: Sunrisers Leeds owner Kaviya Maran declined to comment on the debate surrounding the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred, saying only that she was pleased with the squads assembled by her franchise.

Maran, who is also the chief executive of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad and SA20 side Sunrisers Eastern Cape, oversaw Sunrisers Leeds' bidding for Abrar during The Hundred draft. The franchise prevailed in a lengthy bidding contest with Trent Rockets to secure the mystery spinner for £190,000.

Abrar's signing attracted significant attention, with Sunrisers Leeds becoming the first team owned by an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise to recruit a Pakistani men's cricketer in The Hundred.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Maran avoided discussing the matter, with the newspaper describing the issue as politically sensitive. Instead, she expressed satisfaction with the squad assembled for the competition.

"We are really happy with both our squads; we have so many bases covered," Maran said.

Sunrisers Hyderabad became the only IPL franchise to acquire full ownership of a Hundred team after purchasing Yorkshire's 51 per cent stake alongside the England and Wales Cricket Board's 49 per cent share.

Other Indian investors, including those linked to Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, also acquired majority stakes in different Hundred franchises.

Ahead of the player draft, there had been speculation over whether Pakistani cricketers would be overlooked by teams with Indian ownership.

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board reiterated that The Hundred would remain an inclusive competition, while all eight franchises issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to equality and non-discrimination.

Apart from Abrar, Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq was also selected in the men's draft after being signed by Birmingham Phoenix. 

Meanwhile, no Pakistani player was picked during the women's draft, although Phoenix later recruited Pakistan captain Fatima Sana as a replacement signing.