The official X account of Sunrisers Leeds has been restored less than a day after it was suspended, shortly after the franchise signed Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed in the first-ever men’s player auction for The Hundred ahead of the 2026 season.
Sunrisers Leeds X account restored after suspension
A few hours after the auction, the account had started displaying a standard message that X suspends profiles that violate its platform rules. The social media platform notes that suspensions may occur for several reasons, including concerns related to safety, privacy, authenticity or advertising practices. However, the specific reason for the suspension in this instance was not clarified.
It was restored roughly around 9 am UK time - at the time of its restoration, the profile had fewer than 100 followers, significantly lower than its previous count. This, though, seems to be a common experience: When a user account crosses states (such as suspended to unsuspended), it can take several hours for the cache to re-populate.
The development came soon after Sunrisers Leeds secured Abrar’s services for £190,000 during the men’s Hundred auction held on March 12. The franchise is linked to Sunrisers Hyderabad of the Indian Premier League.
Sunrisers Leeds face criticism after signing of Abrar Ahmed
Abrar’s signing generated strong reactions online, with some users criticising the franchise and calling for a boycott of Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL side connected to the Leeds team. Part of the criticism referenced the spinner’s past social media activity, which some users said had mocked Indian army personnel during periods of heightened tension between India and Pakistan.
Before the auction, there had also been speculation about the prospects of Pakistani players being picked after IPL owners acquired stakes in four of the eight Hundred franchises.
Following that report, the ECB and the Hundred franchises issued a joint statement emphasising their commitment to preventing discrimination. The statement said that all eight teams would base their selections solely on cricketing merit, availability and team requirements.
Abrar was not the only Pakistani player to secure a contract in the auction. Usman Tariq was signed by Birmingham Phoenix, a franchise without IPL ownership links, for £140,000.
Pakistani players have not appeared in the IPL since the tournament’s inaugural season in 2008, and none have featured in the SA20, where all six teams are affiliated with IPL franchises. Meanwhile, the social media accounts of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape remained active, as did the Facebook and Instagram pages of Sunrisers Leeds.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
