Saim Ayub, Usman Tariq sign up for 'The Hundred' 2026 auction
Cricket
The tournament, organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), will hold its draft on March 12 in London
LAHORE (Web Desk) - More than 50 Pakistani cricketers have entered the draft for this year’s edition of The Hundred, with leading names such as Saim Ayub, Usman Tariq, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf included in a player pool of over 950 for next month’s auctions.
The tournament, organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), will hold its women’s draft on March 11 and men’s draft on March 12 in London.
While several Pakistani stars have registered, former captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan are not on the long list, reportedly due to Pakistan’s Test commitments later in the summer.
The inclusion of Pakistani players comes amid renewed debate over the influence of Indian Premier League-linked investors in the competition.
Four franchises in The Hundred now have ownership ties to IPL groups, including Mumbai Indians (MI London), Lucknow Super Giants (Manchester Super Giants), Sunrisers Hyderabad (Sunrisers Leeds) and Delhi Capitals (Southern Brave).
Historically, only nine Pakistani players have featured across the first five seasons of The Hundred.
Scheduling clashes with international fixtures and late withdrawals — including Afridi in 2024 — have previously limited participation.
However, Pakistan’s white-ball sides are not scheduled to play during this year’s tournament window from July 21 to August 16, potentially clearing the way for broader involvement.
An ECB spokesperson reiterated the board’s commitment to diversity and global representation, noting that nearly 1,000 players from 18 countries have registered for the draft.
Teams are permitted to field four overseas players per match, while salary caps for 2026 have increased to £2.05 million for men’s squads and £880,000 for women’s teams.
The auction will begin with a marquee set of “hero” players nominated by the eight franchises, setting the stage for what could be a significant moment for Pakistani representation in the competition.
