Sunrisers Leeds, a cricket franchise in the new The Hundred 2026 tournament, faced a big online reaction after signing Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed in the recent players’ auction.
Abrar became the first Pakistani cricketer to be bought by an Indian‑owned team in the competition when Sunrisers Leeds picked him for about £190,000.
Hours after the team announced the signing on its official X account, the franchise’s social media page was suspended by X. The suspension happened just after the Abrar signing post went live and caused a lot of debate online.
It is not clear if the suspension was a direct result of reports and complaints by users or an automatic action by the platform because of very high activity and reporting.
The move sparked strong reactions on social media from fans in different countries. Many responses linked to politics between India and Pakistan, while others focused on cricket and the idea of having more talent in a global league.
Less than a day later, X restored the Sunrisers Leeds account, though fans’ comments and posts remained focused on the controversy and debate over signing Abrar Ahmed.
