Fourteen Pakistani cricketers have been included in the 247-player longlist for this year’s hundred, putting the spotlight on whether they will be bid by Indian franchises for the tournament amid reports of a potential “shadow ban”.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf headlines the Pakistan contingent after being named in the ‘Marquee Players International’ category with the highest starting price of £100,000. He is part of a high profile group that also includes Aiden Markram, David Miller, Daryl Mitchell and Sunil Narine.
SIX PAKISTANI PLAYERS IN TOP 50
Six Pakistani internationals feature in the top 50 “heroes” list. Apart from Rauf, top tier names include Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and spinner Usman Tariq. Level 2 participants are Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed, with Ayub taking the top prize.
Pakistan has the most representatives of any overseas country in the top 50, one more than South Africa.
The remaining names on the men’s longlist are Muhammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Zaman Khan, Akif Javed and Salman Mirza. Sahibzada Farhan, currently among the leading run-scorers in the T20 World Cup, is a notable absence.
NEWS ABOUT THE SHADOW BAN AND THE ECB’S REACTION
The inclusion of 14 Pakistani players comes after a BBC report claimed that four franchises with ownership ties to the Indian Premier League are not considering signing players from Pakistan due to geopolitical tensions.
These teams are MI London, Sunrisers Leeds, Manchester Super Giants and Southern Brave.
The England and Wales Cricket Board and the Eight hundred teams subsequently issued a joint statement stating that “no one shall be excluded on the basis of his nationality”. The ECB also reminded the franchises that selection must be based solely on cricketing performance, availability and team requirements.
AVAILABILITY AND CONTEXT
No Pakistani players were signed in the 2025 draft, for the first time since the competition started in 2021. Fifty Pakistani cricketers have registered for this draft.
This result was inconsistent with previous seasons. In 2024, the tournament featured Naseem Shah (Birmingham Phoenix), Mohammad Amir (Oval Invincibles), Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire) and Usama Mir (Manchester Originals). Six Pakistani players, including Shadab Khan and Ihsanullah, played in 2023.
This year’s hundred overlaps with the Pakistan Test, which could affect the availability of some centrally contracted players.
With 14 Pakistan men in the auction pool and six in the top 50, the focus is on how the bidding process pans out and whether India-owned franchises enter the race for their signatures.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
March 3, 2026 10:31 AM IST
