Sunrisers Leeds’ account on X was temporarily suspended following backlash over their decision to sign Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed. The franchise, owned by the same group as Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, saw their account restored after a brief suspension. Sun TV, the Indian media conglomerate, acquired the Leeds franchise in The Hundred last year, securing full control of the team.
Franchise CEO Kavya Maran and head coach Daniel Vettori were present at the auction where they successfully bid 190,000 pounds for Abrar Ahmed to strengthen their spin options. Vettori consulted Australian players who had faced Ahmed previously and was impressed by their feedback, leading to the signing. The decision to sign Ahmed was solely based on cricketing requirements, with no discussions about avoiding Pakistani players.
Following the announcement of Abrar’s signing, Sunrisers Leeds’ X account was briefly suspended without a specific explanation. The account was reinstated with a new follower base, sparking further discussion about the controversial signing. Usman Tariq was the only other Pakistani player to attract interest at the auction, joining Birmingham Phoenix. Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Saim Ayub went unsold.
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