Sunrisers Leeds, an English cricket team that plays in The Hundred, is facing backlash on social media after they bought Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed at the inaugural men's Hundred auction in London on Thursday. The team which was previously known as Northern Superchargers, is owned by Sun TV Network Ltd., which also owns Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, bought the spinner for £190,000.
Abrar thus became the first Pakistan player to be signed by an Indian-owned team in the competition.
The deal though has not got down well with the Indian cricket fans as they took to social media platform to vent their frustration.
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Abrar Ahmed's history of mocking Indian cricket
27-year-old Abrar has a history of taking potshots at Indian cricket. Last during during a India-Pakistan ODI match at the ICC Champions Trophy, Abrar gave a controversial send-off to Shubman Gill after picking his wicket. His actions sparked criticism and he was called out by the Indian fans.
In a separate incident, Abrar found himself at the center of controversy for his Instagram post where he appeared to be mocking Indians by referencing Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. The post was not well received by Indian fans, who in turn took to social media to criticise him.
Scrutiny around The Hundred auction
There was considerable scrutiny surrounding The Hundred auction, as several media reports suggested that IPL-owned teams in the tournament would not bid for Pakistani players. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) allayed the fears as it warned all the franchises against snubbing Pakistan players.
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