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Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim In Kavya Maran's Team Ignites Spark Of A Brewing Controversy

Rajgeeta Yadav

Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim signed as Hundred replacements [Source: AFP and @Mr_LoLwa/X]Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim signed as Hundred replacements [Source: AFP and @Mr_LoLwa/X]

Former Pakistan cricketers Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim have joined the Northern Superchargers in this year’s edition of The Hundred, putting an end to rumours that Pakistani players were being excluded from the tournament due to new Indian ownership.

For a while, there was speculation that Pakistan players might be left out of The Hundred. This was because four out of the eight teams are now owned by Indian companies, and two others are backed by Indian-American investors. 

These concerns were especially strong because of the ongoing political tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack, and the fact that no Pakistani player was allowed to participate in South Africa's SA20 league, which also involves Indian investors who own IPL teams.

Northern Superchargers Sign Pakistan Duo For The Hundred

However, those fears were dismissed when it was officially announced that Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim would be playing for Northern Superchargers. This team is owned by Sun Group, the same Indian company that owns Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. So, an Indian-based franchise in The Hundred named Pakistani players as replacements, showing that ownership does not necessarily influence player selection.

The two Pakistanis are joining as replacements. Amir will be taking over from Ben Dwarshuis, who is busy with national duty for Australia. 

Meanwhile, Imad Wasim is filling in for Mitchell Santner for two games (on August 7 and 10) while the New Zealand player finishes his tour in Zimbabwe.

Earlier this year, ECB chief Richard Gould said that player selection would not be affected by who owns the teams. Still, when no Pakistani players were picked in the March draft, many people questioned if this was really the case. Some explained this by pointing out that Pakistan had overlapping tours in the West Indies and UAE, which may have made players unavailable.

In terms of investment, the Sun Group, led by Kavya Maran, bought 100% of the Northern Superchargers with an investment of Rs 1,094 crore. This move expanded their presence in global cricket, as they already own teams in both the IPL and SA20.