Despite their significant contributions to Pakistan’s cricket achievements, prominent players Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan were left “unsold,” receiving no offers in The Hundred 2024 player draft.
This situation arose after Babar and Rizwan, together with the national team’s T20 captain Shaheen Afridi, entered the draft at the last minute.
A total of 64 Pakistani cricketers, comprising 59 men and five women, signed up for The Hundred Draft for 2024 earlier in the month.
Babar and Rizwan were not alone in being overlooked, as Pakistani cricketers like Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Amir also went unpicked.
Additionally, international cricket stars such as Jason Roy, David Warner, Tim David, and Shakib Al Hasan found no takers among the teams.
Conversely, Pakistan’s renowned fast bowler Shaheen was reselected by Welsh Fire for £100,000, continuing his association with the team from the previous season.
Prior to the draft, two Pakistani bowlers, Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire) and Usama Mir (Manchester Originals), secured their places.
Imad Wasim, the recently retired all-rounder who played a pivotal part in Islamabad United’s victory in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 9), rejoined Trent Rockets for £100,000, while fast bowler Naseem Shah was acquired by Birmingham Phoenix for £125,000.
West Indies cricketers were notably popular in the draft, with Northern Superchargers selecting Nicholas Pooran as their first draft choice.
Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer are set to represent London Spirit, Kieron Pollard has signed with Southern Brave, and Rovman Powell was a prime selection for Trent Rockets.
In contrast, the women’s draft saw no Pakistani players chosen, with Australian athletes like Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Lauren Cheatle, Jess Jonassen, and Sophie Molineux gaining prominence in the auction.
Indian players Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh were among those picked in the draft.
The fourth installment of The Hundred is slated to commence on July 23 of this year.
