ISLAMABAD: The International League T20 2026 (ILT20) auction exposed a stark Indian bias as franchises with Indian ownership collectively shunned Pakistani players, leaving stars Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah to be picked at their base prices of just $80,000 each.

Both players were quietly snapped up by the Desert Vipers, the only franchise in the league without Indian ownership. This figure pales in comparison to their earnings of around $200,000 in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Emerging star Hasan Nawaz, the PSL’s leading run-scorer in the Emerging category, also found a home at Desert Vipers, again at base price ($40,000).

In contrast, West Indies' Andre Fletcher fetched the highest bid of $260,000 from MI Emirates, followed closely by England’s Scott Currie, who landed a $250,000 contract with Dubai Capitals.

UAE-based Pakistani Junaid Siddique was picked up for $170,000 by Sharjah Warriorz — more than double what top-tier Pakistan internationals earned.

Interestingly, even as Pakistani stars were undervalued or ignored, big names from India, Bangladesh, and England also went unsold. India's Ravichandran Ashwin, despite a base price of $20,000, found no takers. Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, England’s Jason Roy, and Pakistani duo Mohammad Amir and Saim Ayub were also left out.

The fourth edition of the ILT20 is set to run from December 2, 2025, to January 4, 2026, but doubts remain over the participation of Pakistani cricketers after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) withdrew No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for all centrally contracted players to play in overseas leagues.

The PCB has not explained its decision to revoke NOCs. Media reports, however, indicate it intends to introduce a performance-based system, with details yet to be announced. The board is also pushing national team players to feature in domestic competitions to make it more competitive.

The move followed Pakistan’s narrow loss to India in the Asia Cup final in the UAE, which came after a tri-series win, and precedes the start of the delayed Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in October.

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Pakistani cricketers ignored as Indian-backed ILT20 franchises snub bids