Shaheen Afridi, Naseem among top Pakistan names in Hundred 2026 auction

Almost the entire Pakistan squad for the ongoing T20 World Cup, including captain Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Saim Ayub and mystery spinner Usman Tariq, has registered for The Hundred auction scheduled to be held in London next month.  With talks ongoing to not opt for any Pakistani player for the IPL backed franchises, the auction is less likely to see many bids for most of the players from the country

 

A total of 710 players have been listed for the March 11-12 auction, featuring cricketers from almost every major cricket-playing nation, except India. Pakistan have 63 players in the auction pool, but their prospects remain uncertain amid reports that several franchises may refrain from bidding for them.

 

 

The selection of Pakistan players could also depend on international commitments. According to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), Pakistan are slated to tour West Indies for a Test series in August, which could clash with the latter part of The Hundred season.

 

Last year, only two Pakistan players, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Wasim, played in the competition for Northern Superchargers. Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar was also part of the Oval Invincibles squad, though he did not feature prominently.

 

Indian-linked franchises may stay away

 

Reports in the English media have suggested that most franchises with Indian ownership links may avoid Pakistan players at the auction. Of the eight teams, six have Indian connections through ownership structures.

 

These include London Spirit (owned by US-based tech investors), MI Oval (Reliance Industries), Manchester SuperGiants (RPSG Group), Southern Brave (GMR Group), SunRisers Leeds (Sun TV) and Welsh Fire (US-based businessman Sanjay Govil).

 

“Pakistan cricketers are not being considered by Indian-owned sides for next month's Hundred auction,” the BBC reported, quoting sources. 

 

However, a couple of franchises contacted by Cricbuzz did not confirm any such policy and indicated they would prioritise building the strongest possible squad.

 

Four of the six franchises have direct ties to IPL teams, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow SuperGiants and SunRisers Hyderabad. These ownership groups have largely avoided signing Pakistan players in overseas leagues such as South Africa’s SA20 and the UAE’s ILT20, a trend often linked to strained diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.

 

Top Pakistan names and base prices

 

Apart from Shaheen, Salman, Saim and Usman Tariq, several leading Pakistan players have entered the auction at higher base price brackets.

 

Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah have listed themselves at a base price of GBP 100,000. Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan and Usman Tariq are in the GBP 75,000 category.

 

Players including Faheem Ashraf, Shahibzada Farhan, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Afaq Afridi and Asif Afridi have registered at GBP 50,000. Salman Ali Agha’s reserve price is GBP 75,000.

 

The auction list also includes major international names such as Finn Allen, Jonny Bairstow, Trent Boult, Quinton de Kock, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shimron Hetmyer, David Miller, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Moeen Ali, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Alzarri Joseph and Angelo Mathews.

 

ECB outlines auction purse and squad requirements

 

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which owns The Hundred, said franchises will need to build men’s squads of 16 to 18 players, while women’s teams will consist of 15 players each.

 

The total salary cap for a men’s squad will remain GBP 2.05 million per team. In the women’s competition, the salary pot will double for the 2026 season, rising to GBP 880,000 per team.

 

Retentions and pre-auction signings

 

Teams are allowed to complete up to four pre-auction signings between mid-November and the end of January. Of these, a maximum of three can be direct signings, restricted to overseas players or England centrally contracted cricketers. At least one signing must be a retention, which can include overseas, domestic or centrally contracted players.

 

For the men’s competition, the cumulative deduction from the salary cap will be GBP 350,000 for one signing, GBP 650,000 for two players, GBP 850,000 for three players and GBP 950,000 for four players.

 

In the women’s league, the deductions are GBP 130,000 for one signing, GBP 240,000 for two signings, GBP 310,000 for three players and GBP 360,000 for four.

 

The ECB said the retention and deduction structure broadly mirrors the system used in the IPL auction framework.