Shaheen Afridi pulls out of The Hundred [Source: X]In a significant development, Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi withdrew from The Hundred 2026 auction after registering for the marquee event. The development comes as a shocker for The Hundred teams, including four sides owned by the IPL franchises, as they prepare the blueprint heading to the auction table. Shaheen Afridi was one of the high-profile names from Pakistan to register for the inaugural Men's Hundred auction. The left-arm pacer had set £100,000 as his base price; however, since he has withdrawn from the mega event, he won't go under the hammer during the auction. Shaheen Afridi pulls out of The Hundred 2026 auctionThe inaugural Hundred auction commenced on March 11, as the Women's cricketers went under the hammer. Meanwhile, the The Hundred auction for the Men's competition will be conducted on Thursday, March 12. While genuine match-winners like Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney earned lucrative contracts, the Pakistani players, including captain Fatima Sana, went unsold in the auction. As the stage is set for the first-ever Men's Hundred auction, ace speedster Shaheen Afridi has pulled out of the showpiece event. Also read: The Hundred Auction 2026: Date, Time, List, Rules, Live Streaming, VenueBesides the Pakistan cricketer, Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Peter Siddle have also withdrawn their names from the final auction list. South African star Quinton de Kock and West Indies T20 great Sunil Narine had a base price of £100,000, while Allah Ghazanfar and Peter Siddle's base price was £75,000 each for the event. Shaheen Afridi's withdrawal, a setback for IPL teams in the Hundred?As it's a well-known fact, the IPL franchise-owned teams generally avoid picking players from Pakistan in global T20 leagues due to the country's strained geopolitical relations with India. Having said that, the Hundred recently released an official statement, assuring the Pakistan players that they won't be discriminated for their nationality in its inaugural auction. While 63 cricketers from the country had registered for the mega event, only fourteen names, including Shaheen Afridi, made it into the final list. Given that Afridi was one of the marquee names among the shortlisted players, he was expected to grab the attention of several teams, including those owned by the IPL franchises. However, as he has decided to pull out his name, it's a definite setback for teams, who had kept him in their plans heading to The Hundred 2026 auction. Why did Shaheen Afridi withdraw from The Hundred 2026 auction?Pakistan pace sensation Shaheen Afridi grabbed the limelight as he pulled out of the inaugural Hundred auction. Although the exact reason for his withdrawal hasn't been revealed, several reports from the Pakistani media claim that Shaheen made the bold move in order to keep himself fit for the Test series against the West Indies. The Pakistani team is scheduled to face the West Indies in a two-match Test series in July-August. Interestingly, The Hundred 2026 kicks off on July 21, with the final scheduled for August 16.So, as the English 100-ball tournament coincides with the international tour, Shaheen has decided to withdraw from the competition. Also read: IPL-Owned Coaches Give Clear Verdict On Pakistani Players At The Hundred Men 2026 Auction
