New Delhi, March 13: The social media account of Sunrisers Leeds has been suspended following backlash over their acquisition of Pakistani player Abrar Ahmed during the auction for England’s popular league, ‘The Hundred.’
The platform has not provided a clear reason for the suspension. Typically, X suspends accounts that violate its rules.
Abrar is the first Pakistani player to be purchased by any Indian-owned team in ‘The Hundred.’ The franchise secured him for $255,000.
Sunrisers Leeds is facing criticism from cricket fans in India for this decision. Fans argue that the choice to sign a Pakistani player goes against national sentiments.
Before the auction, there were discussions about Indian franchises not acquiring Pakistani players, along with rumors of a potential ‘shadow ban.’
Team coach Daniel Vettori stated that he consulted Australian players about Abrar at the beginning of the year, which influenced the decision to include him in the team. He clarified that there was no specific meeting regarding the inclusion of Pakistani players within the franchise.
In addition to Abrar Ahmed, another player, Usman Tariq, was also bought during the men’s auction for ‘The Hundred.’ Tariq was acquired by Birmingham Phoenix for $187,000.
Last year, IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired the Leeds franchise of ‘The Hundred,’ which was previously known as Northern Superchargers. The franchise gained control by purchasing a 49% stake from the ECB and 51% from Yorkshire.
However, prior to the auction, all eight franchises made it clear that player selection would be based solely on performance, availability, and team needs. Sunrisers Leeds won the bidding war for Abrar against Trent Rockets.
Leave a Comment