Thursday’s hundred-man auction generated several talking points, with Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman and two Pakistan players finding buyers and grabbing headlines.
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Mustafizul was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for £100,000 (approximately Rs 123 crore), opening a new chapter after a turbulent few months that began with his sudden release from Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League.
Following the guidance of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, KKR sacked the Bangladesh left-arm pacer, sparking widespread controversy in Bangladesh. The decision had ripple effects across diplomacy and cricket, culminating in Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the recently concluded International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, making Mustafizul’s team’s exit one of the most high-profile controversies of the season.
While Mustafizul’s signing attracted attention, two Pakistani players were also picked up at the auction. After a bidding war with Trent Rockets, mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed has been snapped up by Leeds Sunrisers for £190,000 (approximately Rs 234 crore). Abrar’s signing assumes significance as Leeds Sunrisers are affiliated with the Sun Group in Chennai, making him the first Pakistani player to join an Indian-owned team in the competition.
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Another Pakistani mystery spinner, Usman Tariq, was picked by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (approximately Rs. 172 crore). However, Phoenix has no direct link with any IPL team.
Several other Pakistani stars failed to attract bids. Fast bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounder Saim Ayub and spinner Shadab Khan failed to sell, while veteran pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi withdrew from the auction earlier.
In other big deals, Sussex all-rounder James Coles received the highest bid of the day, joining London Spirit for £3.90 million (roughly Rs. 4.8 crore).
The upcoming “Festival of 100” is scheduled to take place from July 21st to August 16th.
