Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has withdrawn from the The Hundred auction just hours before bidding was set to begin on Thursday, dealing a blow to the competition.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed that Afridi was among five overseas players who pulled out at the last moment. Others who withdrew include Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, AM Ghazanfar, and Peter Siddle.
The board did not provide specific reasons for the withdrawals, though scheduling clashes with the Caribbean Premier League and other international commitments are believed to have influenced the decision.
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.
His departure means 13 Pakistan players remain available for selection.
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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