Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has been nominated among a 17-member group of Pakistani cricketers registered for the fifth International League T20 (ILT20) Player Auction, which will be conducted at the ICC Academy Indoors on October 1.
According to the details, more than 200 cricketers from 23 countries, including 11 full-member International Cricket Council (ICC) members, ILT20 partner countries Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, as well as 10 other associate nations, will be involved in the auction.
From Pakistan, a total of 17 players have put their names forward for the auction, with Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Usman Tariq, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Hassan Nawaz, Muhammad Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, Maaz Sadaqat and Sahibzada Farhan, besides Babar Azam, set to be in the fray.
The registered players have been divided into three base price slabs of $80,000, $40,000, and $10,000, respectively, and the top bracket features five Pakistan cricketers – Babar, Fakhar, Naseem, Farhan and Usman.
Meanwhile, the second base-price slab, dubbed Seasoned T20 Superstars, features a total of 12 international cricketers, including Shadab, Maaz, Hassan and Hunain from Pakistan.
Among other notable international cricketers to have entered the auction are Phil Salt, Tom Banton, David Willey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Alzarri Joseph, Wanindu Hasaranga, Faf du Plessis, Taskin Ahmed, Alex Hales, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Chris Woakes and Dasun Shanaka.
At the players’ auction for the fifth edition of ILT20, scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 22 to December 20, each franchise is obligated to select a minimum of 18 or a maximum of 23 players.
Out of the said number of players, a minimum of 11 must be from ICC Full Member nations, a minimum of four of which must be from Afghanistan and at least one from Ireland.
Besides the Full Member nations, franchises are further obligated to select a minimum of four players from the UAE, at least one apiece from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and one from other associate nations, excluding ILT20 partner countries.