Sunrisers Leeds X account suspended after Hundred auction backlash
Sunrisers Leeds have been caught up in backlash after buying Pakistani player Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred auction.
The franchise – owned by India’s Sun Group and a sister team to the IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad – had its X account suspended in the early hours of Friday morning after Indian social media users urged others to report the club for being “traitors” and “terrorists”.
Their account was active again by mid-morning but with zero followers.
There had been concerns that the four teams owned or co-owned by groups with interests in the Indian Premier League would boycott the selection of Pakistani players due to long-standing political tensions in Asia.
But spinner Abrar was snapped up for £190,000 by Sunrisers Leeds days after the England and Wales Cricket Board wrote to the franchises to warn them over anti-discrimination policies.
Sunrisers Leeds, however, received backlash on social media following the acquisition of Abrar.
“Everyone should report this franchise [sic] X handle and get it suspended,” one user wrote.
“Also report Sunrisers Hyderabad,” another said, while a third suggested they’d boycott IPL matches of “this traitor franchise” when the Indian competition starts later this year.
Sunrisers Leeds backlash
The England and Wales Cricket Board has been approached for comment.
The statement released by the ECB ahead of the auctions said: “The Hundred was established to reach new audiences, grow the game of cricket and ensure that everyone – regardless of their ethnicity, gender, faith, nationality or other – can feel they belong in our sport. This has been a guiding principle from the outset and remains at the heart of everything we do.
“As the governing body responsible for running the tournament, the ECB is committed to ensuring there is no place for discrimination, and has regulations in place to take robust action to tackle any such conduct. Players must not be excluded on the grounds of their nationality.”