Saim Ayub among Pakistan players shortlisted for LPL 2026 players draft

LAHORE: Left-handed opener Saim Ayub was named amongst the Pakistan cricketers shortlisted for the Lanka Premier League (LPL) players draft, scheduled to be held on June 1 in Colombo.

According to the details, a total of 110 Pakistan players were shortlisted for the draft, including Ayub, Imam-ul-Haq, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Abdullah Shafique, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Mohammad Haris.

The development came two days after the LPL had confirmed that a total of 650 overseas cricketers from all full-member International Cricket Council (ICC) members and associate nations put forward their names for its sixth edition, scheduled to run from July 17 to August 8.

Amongst full members, Pakistan held the largest share of registered players, while the United States of America (USA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had the highest numbers amongst the associate nations.

"The highest number of registrations from Full Member nations came from Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Australia, and England," the franchise league said in a statement.

Meanwhile, earlier today, another Pakistan top-order batter, Sahibzada Farhan, was roped in by the Dambulla franchise as a pre-signing ahead of the players' draft on the back of his ground-breaking performances at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which Sri Lanka hosted alongside India.

During the mega event, Farhan piled up 383 runs in seven matches with the help of two centuries and as many fifties and finished as the leading run-scorer.

It is pertinent to mention that the 2026 edition of the LPL will feature five franchises representing Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Dambulla.

However, official team names and ownership details are yet to be confirmed, with the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) expected to unveil full branding and franchise identities closer to the tournament.