During the Lanka Premier League (LPL) auction held on Wednesday, June 14, a total of 10 Pakistani players were successfully bought by various franchises for the upcoming tournament scheduled to take place from July 30 to August 22, 2023.
The Colombo Strikers and B-Love Kandy were the most active buyers of Pakistan players, securing five and four players respectively. The Strikers picked up Iftikhar Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, and Mohammad Nawaz for $50,000, $40,000, and $30,000 respectively, adding to their pre-signed duo of Babar Azam and Naseem Shah.
The Kandy franchise bought Mohammad Hasnain for $34,000 and Asif Ali for $30,000, both starting with a base price of $30,000. They also acquired Mohammad Haris and Aamer Jamal from Peshawar Zalmi for $20,000 and $10,000 respectively. These players will join Fakhar Zaman, who was pre-signed by Kandy.
The Jaffna Kings bought back Shoaib Malik for $50,000, who had played for them in the previous edition of the LPL. They also added Zaman Khan, a death overs specialist, for his base price of $30,000. The Dambulla Aura strengthened their bowling department by signing Shahnawaz Dahani for his base price of $20,000.
However, not all Pakistan players found buyers at the auction. Some prominent names like Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, and Azam Khan remained unsold.
Here is a summary of the Pakistan players and their respective teams in the LPL:
Colombo Strikers: Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Wahab Riaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad NawazB-Love Kandy: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Asif Ali, Mohammad Haris, Aamer JamalJaffna Kings: Shoaib Malik, Zaman KhanDambulla Aura: Shahnawaz Dahani