Sunburn: Fans Blow Hot At Sunrisers After Pak Player Picked

Abrar is the only Pakistan player from five franchises (four with affiliations in the IPL) that are owned by Indians in the eight-team league in England. Sunrisers — whose sister franchises are Sunrisers Hyderabad (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (South African T20 league) — won a bidding war with Trent Rockets to secure Abrar’s services for £1,90,000 (₹2.34 crore, 7.11 Pakistani rupees).

Head coach Daniel Vettori, who was at the auction table alongside Sunrisers CEO Kavya Maran who raised the paddle during the bidding, stated there had been no discussions internally that the franchise would not select Pakistanis. “There were four or five guys that we were looking at and Abrar was one of them,” he told ESPNCricinfo.

The decision did not go down well with supporters who berated the franchise on social media. “Any brands associated with these franchisees will also face a boycott. I urge everyone to do the same. Let our voices and actions be heard,” an angry fan vented on X.

Another recounted Abrar’s anti-India activity. “I have unfollowed and BLOCKED @SunRisers and @sunrisersleeds for buying Abrar Ahmed. He mocked Abhinandan Varthaman (IAF Wing Commander who was captured by Pakistan after his fighter jet was shot in 2019) with his silly social media posts. Can’t support an IPL team which is not true to its own country.”

A different user wrote: “Abrar Ahmed mocked our defence forces. Nothing could be more shameful than this. Disgusting!”

The BCCI is treading cautiously for the moment but it is understood that an informal word would be relayed to the franchise owners to go slow on the controversial player. “The Apex Council meeting is scheduled for Saturday, followed by the BCCI Awards function in Delhi on Sunday. A soft message is likely to be conveyed indirectly,” a source said.

That perhaps points to restricted use of the player in the XI to soothe public anger.

It may not be out of place to mention that the BCCI had asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh from their squad for the IPL in India after the relations with that country hit a low following attacks on Hindus there.

IPL franchises have not signed any Pakistani player since 2009 due to strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On Friday, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla tried to play safe. “It doesn’t concern us. It’s not the IPL. What happens in The Hundred or other overseas leagues, we have nothing to do with it,” he said, knowing fully well that this is simply not a different ball game.