Sunrisers Leeds’ X account was suspended after backlash over signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 in the 2026 Hundred auction.
Sunrisers Leeds faced controversy after signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in the 2026 Hundred Men’s Auction. The franchise secured the mystery spinner for GBP 190,000. Abrar became the second Pakistani player sold in the auction. Spinner Usman Tariq earlier joined the Trent Rockets.
The franchise also became the first Indian-owned franchise to recruit a Pakistani player. Soon after the announcement, the move triggered strong reactions from several fans on social media.
Hours later, the Sunrisers Leeds’ X account became inaccessible. The platform displayed a suspension message when users attempted to open the page.
The Sun Group recently completed a full takeover of the Leeds franchise in The Hundred. The company first bought the 51% stake offered by the ECB. It later acquired the remaining 49% share from Yorkshire CCC. Abrar Ahmed’s selection came despite earlier reports suggesting restrictions on Pakistan players. The England and Wales Cricket Board later clarified that teams would choose players based on performance, availability and squad requirements.
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Notably, Indian-owned franchises rarely sign players from Pakistan because of political tensions between the two countries. Pakistan cricketers have not played in the Indian Premier League since 2008. India and Pakistan also stopped bilateral cricket after 2012. The teams now meet only in multi-nation tournaments organised by the ACC and ICC.
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