Why Shaheen Afridi Has Withdrawn From The Hundred Auction?

The Hundred 2026 Men’s auction is all set to take place on March 12 in London. After a successful Women’s auction, the Men’s auction is expected to be a blockbuster event with some of the best cricketers in the world set to go under the hammer.

The Hundred is witnessing an auction for the first time and this comes after the IPL owners took charge of some of the teams. Around 200 players are set to go under the hammer and this includes some marquee Pakistan players as well.

The likes of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shadab Khan have featured in the league previously and were set to go under the hammer this time around as well. However, hours before the auction, Pakistan ODI captain Afridi pulled out of the auction.

Why Shaheen Afridi Has Withdrawn From The Hundred Auction 2026?

Shaheen Afridi Hundred 2026 auction withdrawal has come as a big surprise for many. Being the premier fast bowler, he was expected to fetch a big amount of money in this auction. His decision comes after there were reports suggesting that Pakistani players might not get picked as the teams are mostly owned by Indian owners.

The exact reason for Shaheen Afridi Hundred withdrawal is yet to be known. But, it can be speculated that he made the decision keeping in mind the international commitments. The pacer is currently leading the team in the ODI series against Bangladesh, where under his leadership Pakistan suffered a big loss.

Pakistan will have a packed schedule going ahead. In May, they will be playing against Zimbabwe and then will host Australia in June. Then, there will be a Test series between Pakistan and the West Indies in July, at a time when The Hundred will be played.

Shaheen Afridi Went Unsold in The Hundred 2025 Auction

Shaheen Afridi, one of the best T20 bowlers going around, was amongst the players, who got unsold in the Hundred 2025. This could also be one of the reasons why he might have pulled out of the auction. He has played just one season in the league, in 2023, where he represented Welsh Fire.

He played 6 games in that season and picked up 6 wickets, giving away 126 runs after having bowled 100 balls at an economy of 7.56. It remains to be seen if he comes up with some any official statement on his Hundred 2026 withdrawal.