Sunrisers Leeds Face Backlash After Signing Pakistan Spinner Abrar Ahmed, X Account Suspended
The Sunrisers franchise has come under intense criticism on social media after signing Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed during the men’s player auction of The Hundred on Thursday.
Abrar made history by becoming the first Pakistani cricketer to be picked by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament after Sunrisers Leeds secured him for USD 255,000. However, the signing sparked strong reactions from many fans in India, with several social media users criticising the franchise and its owner Kavya Maran for signing a Pakistani player.
X Account Suspended Hours After Signing
Adding to the controversy, Sunrisers Leeds’ official account on X was suspended just hours after the signing was announced.
When users attempt to access the account, they see a notice stating that the account has been suspended. The platform typically suspends accounts that violate its policies, although no specific reason has been provided in this case.
Sun TV’s Takeover of the Franchise
The franchise is owned by Sun TV Network, which completed a full takeover of the Leeds-based team—previously known as Northern Superchargers—last year. The media conglomerate acquired a 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
At the auction table, Kavya Maran was seen alongside head coach Daniel Vettori as the franchise participated in bidding for players.
Debate Over Pakistani Players
Before the auction, there had been significant speculation over whether the four Indian-owned teams in The Hundred would bid for Pakistani players, amid reports suggesting a possible informal ban.
Despite the controversy, all eight franchises in the tournament had earlier agreed to select players based solely on performance, availability, and team requirements.
Sunrisers’ Previous Record
The Sunrisers group operates multiple teams globally, including Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 league. Notably, none of these franchises had previously signed an active Pakistani player.
During the auction, Sunrisers Leeds outbid Trent Rockets to secure Abrar Ahmed.
Head coach Daniel Vettori later revealed that the team consulted Australian players who had faced Abrar earlier in the year before deciding to pursue the spinner. He also clarified that the franchise did not hold any internal discussions about avoiding Pakistani players during the auction.
Other Pakistani Players in the Auction
Abrar Ahmed was the second Pakistani player sold in the men’s auction. Earlier, spinner Usman Tariq was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for USD 187,000.
While Pakistani cricketers have featured in several T20 leagues around the world—including teams owned by IPL franchises—no Pakistani player has appeared in the Indian Premier League since 2008 due to longstanding geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
