The 2026 auction of The Hundred held on 12 March has indeed given a great chance to the Pakistani players as it was uncertain that the teams would sign the players from Pakistan after the recent owners of some teams in IPL, who were in talks with the board for the cancellation of Pakistan tour and keeping the players in India where the strong cricket base of India from the very moment they are born and more than 60 every day after that. It was a big surprise that some big names like Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Saim Ayub were not sold, and Shaheen Shah Afridi pulled out of the draft just a little before. Still, two Pakistani spinners were able to get giant contracts as both of them were picked up in the auction.
It was like the door was not closed to Pakistan, as the two spin bowlers were the only ones to get bids, and the two were leg spinners, who are mostly more lethal than the usual finger spinners. First of all, Abrar Ahmed will be playing for the Sunrisers Leeds as he was sold for 190,000 (approximately 2. 34 crore), and the second, Usman Tariq, who is a mystery spinner, got the Birmingham Phoenix for only 140,000. Furthermore, not a single Pakistani woman player, including the captain Fatima Sana, was able to get a contract from this draft.
Only Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq got a bid
🚨 PAKISTANI PLAYERS AT THE HUNDRED AUCTION TODAY 🚨
Abrar Ahmed – Sunrisers Leeds (£190k).
Usman Tariq – Birmingham Phonix (£140k).
Shadab Khan – Unsold.
Saim Ayub – Unsold.
Haris Rauf – Unsold.– Abrar Ahmed is the most expensive Pakistani player in the Auction. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/D3I3aSgEyE
— Abdullah. (@Abdullahh_56) March 12, 2026
One of the most debated acquisitions of the auction was the Sunrisers Leeds signing. It is the rebranded Northern Superchargers franchise, which is now owned by the IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad group. The team, by signing Abrar Ahmed for a whopping 190 000, had convincingly put an end to the speculation that Indian owned teams might be hesitant to sign Pakistani players. The franchise that had released one of their local stars, Adil Rashid, has a huge open spot in their spin department. In order to fill that void, Abrar was the top pick of the team as his ability to turn the ball sharply, his variations and his wicket-taking potential were all qualities that the team sought for their middle over strategy.
At the same time, Birmingham Phoenix were keen on securing Usman Tariq and thus had to compete with Trent Rockets in a bidding war. Famous for his unique bowling action and his trick deliveries, Tariq has, through his performances in the shortest formats, made a worldwide impact. His style of play would be most suited to a pitch like Edgbaston, which is known for its turn. The franchises were also influenced by the players’ showings at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. For example, Usman Tariq had an exceptional bowling spell of 4/16, which was amongst the best bowling figures of the tournament. This had a huge impact on his auction price.
