The Hundred 2026: IPL-linked franchise Sunrisers sign Abrar, Birmingham rope in Usman

LONDON: Pakistani spinners Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq so far emerged as the only players selected from the pool of Pakistani talent during The Hundred 2026 men’s auction, held at Piccadilly Lights.

Birmingham Phoenix secured Tariq for £140,000 (PKR 5.32 crore), making him the first Pakistani player picked in the auction after pacer Haris Rauf, all-rounder Shadab Khan and batter Saim Ayub went unsold in their respective rounds.

Meanwhile, Sunrisers Leeds, an IPL-affiliated franchise, showed strong interest in Abrar and signed the Pakistan spinner for a hefty £190,000 (PKR 7.12 crore).

The franchise owned by Kavya Maran outbid Trent Rockets to secure the services of the Pakistan international, marking a notable moment as an Indian-owned franchise invested significantly in a Pakistani player.

Rauf, Shadab and Saim were later added to the list of unsold players, making them eligible for selection again if franchises choose to revisit the remaining pool.

The final round was held for unsold players, where each franchise had the opportunity to select a player from the remaining pool along with their respective base price.

The team that named a player first would secure them, unless another franchise outbid them to claim the star.

However, the Pakistani trio went unsold, as none of the eight franchise teams chose them during their turns in the final round, with the auction concluding as all sides finalised their squads.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was among five overseas players who withdrew from the auction at late notice, dealing a blow to the competition just hours before bidding was due to begin.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Thursday that the Pakistan fast bowler had pulled out of the auction alongside Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, AM Ghazanfar and Peter Siddle.

The 2026 season of The Hundred is set to begin on 21 July and conclude on 16 August. The opening match will see MI London (formerly Oval Invincibles) face Sunrisers Leeds (formerly Northern Superchargers) at The Oval.