File picture of Pakistan’s Shadab Khan
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
Top Pakistan cricketers such as Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan found no bidders in the Hundred Draft where 50 players from the country had signed up.
Pakistan were represented by 45 male cricketers and five female players in the draft.
Naseem and Shadab were in the top category price bracket of £120,000 while Ayub placed himself in the £78,500 segment.
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Among the women players, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Yusra Amir, Iram Javed, and Jaweria Rauf did not find any takers.
The Indian Premier League owners buying stakes in the Hundred teams could be cited as a reason behind this.
Currently, four IPL franchises have stakes in the Hundred teams — Mumbai Indians in Oval Invincibles, Lucknow Super Giants in Manchester Originals, Sunrisers Hyderabad in Northern Superchargers and Delhi Capitals in Southern Brave.
Besides them, Sanjay Govil, an Indian-American entrepreneur has bought a 50% stake in Welsh Fire, while Cricket Investor Holdings Limited, a consortium of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs, have purchased a 49% stake in London Spirit.
But apart from that, the modest form of Pakistan cricketers in white ball formats too might have played a part in them not attracting any Hundred bid.
Last year, players like Naseem and Shaheen Shah Afridi also had to deal with NOC related issues with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which eventually curtailed their presence in the Hundred.
Published – March 15, 2025 12:57 pm IST
Content Source: www.thehindu.com