Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of five overseas players to have withdrawn from the Hundred auction at late notice, dealing a blow to the competition just hours before the bidding is due to get under way on Thursday.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday evening that the Pakistan fast bowler had pulled out of contention alongside Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, AM Ghazanfar and Peter Siddle.
The board declined to provide individual reasons for the withdrawals, though scheduling clashes with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and bilateral international commitments are believed to have been a factor.
Afridi, who previously represented Welsh Fire in 2023, had been due to feature in the ‘Tier 1 Fast Bowlers’ category at Thursday’s auction. The left-armer took six wickets during his previous stint in the competition and was scheduled to return last year before withdrawing at the last minute.
It follows recent scrutiny over the participation of Pakistani cricketers in the tournament, with the ECB and the eight franchises issuing a joint statement reaffirming that all selections would be based on “performance, availability, and the needs of each team.”
The clarification came amid reports of a potential reluctance from franchises with Indian ownership links to pick Pakistani players. De Kock and Narine have also previously featured in the Hundred, representing Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles respectively.
Their absence, along with that of Ghazanfar and the veteran Australian seamer Siddle, is likely to force last-minute adjustments to franchise plans ahead of Thursday’s bidding.
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