(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
SA20 Player Auction: Pakistani Stars Missing Again Despite Record Registrations
South Africa’s flagship T20 tournament, the SA20 League, is preparing for its biggest-ever player auction. A record 541 players have been shortlisted from over 800 registrations—making it the largest pool in the league’s four-year history. However, Pakistani cricket fans will once again be disappointed as no Pakistani cricketers are included in the final list.
The auction, scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg, will see six franchises—MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings, Durban’s Super Giants, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, and Pretoria Capitals—compete for top talent. Teams will collectively spend R131 million (US$7.37m) to fill 84 available slots. Each squad must have 19 players, including at least nine locals, up to seven overseas professionals, and two under-23 South Africans.
This year’s shortlist features 300 South African players and 241 international cricketers. Yet, the continued absence of Pakistani stars such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan is striking—especially given their popularity across other global T20 leagues.
Since its launch, the SA20 has never featured a Pakistani player. While organizers have not officially commented on the matter, many believe the exclusion is linked to the league’s IPL franchise ownership, as Pakistani players have also been absent from the Indian Premier League. In contrast, Pakistani cricketers enjoy strong participation in other competitions such as the Caribbean Premier League, Big Bash League, Bangladesh Premier League, The Hundred, Major League Cricket, and ILT20.
The SA20 kicks off on December 26, 2025, and while excitement is building, cricket followers feel the tournament could reach even greater global appeal if Pakistan’s world-class talent is included in future seasons.
