Rauf headlines 14 Pakistani players in trimmed longlist for next week’s inaugural Hundred auction

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Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has been named among the marquee players for the upcoming men’s auction of The Hundred, scheduled to take place next week in London. A total of 14 Pakistani cricketers have made it to the final trimmed longlist, increasing the possibility of strong Pakistan representation in the tournament.

According to a joint statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the eight participating franchises, player selections will be based on performance, availability, and the specific requirements of each team. The clarification followed reports suggesting that teams owned by Indian Premier League franchises might avoid bidding for Pakistani players due to geopolitical concerns.

Initially, the ECB released a longlist of 710 registered players, including 63 from Pakistan. Franchises were later asked to shortlist around 75–100 players they were most interested in signing. After the evaluation process, the list was reduced to 243 players, with 14 Pakistani cricketers still in contention.

The Pakistani players on the final list include Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Akif Javed, Salman Mirza, and emerging spinner Usman Tariq.

Among them, Rauf has been selected as one of the 10 marquee overseas players, meaning his name will be called early in the auction on March 12. Other international marquee players include Aiden Markram, David Miller, Sunil Narine and Daryl Mitchell. The domestic marquee group features top English stars such as Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, James Vince and Jordan Cox.

Rauf previously played for Welsh Fire in the Hundred and picked up 16 wickets across two seasons. He recently enjoyed an excellent campaign in the Big Bash League while representing the Melbourne Stars, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker under coach Peter Moores, who is now associated with Trent Rockets.

The tournament window could overlap with Pakistan’s Test tour of the Caribbean against West Indies, though most of Pakistan’s white-ball specialists are expected to be available if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) grants No-Objection Certificates.

Notably missing from the trimmed list is Sahibzada Farhan, who had expressed hope of being picked despite impressive performances in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he has already scored centuries against Namibia national cricket team and Sri Lanka national cricket team.

The 2026 edition of the Hundred will run from July 21 to August 16, marking the first season with private investors involved after the sale of team shares. Several franchises have also been renamed following new ownership links with IPL teams, including MI London, Sunrisers Leeds, and Manchester Super Giants.

Attention will now turn to the auction in Piccadilly, London, where teams with Indian ownership—along with others—will face scrutiny over whether they bid for Pakistani players after criticism from former England captains Michael Atherton and Michael Vaughan regarding a possible unofficial ban.

The women’s auction will take place on March 11, a day before the men’s event. Pakistani representation on the women’s longlist includes Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal, while prominent international marquee names feature Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney and Deepti Sharma.

With several global stars available and franchises reshaping their squads, the upcoming Hundred auction is expected to be one of the most closely watched franchise cricket events of the year.