Iftikhar, Haris among Pakistan players sold during Lanka Premier League auction

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10 Pakistan players were successfully auctioned at the Lanka Premier League (LPL) on Wednesday, June 14. The auction saw some exciting bidding wars as teams vied to secure talented cricketers for the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from July 30 to August 22, 2023.

The Colombo Strikers made impressive acquisitions, purchasing Iftikhar Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, and Mohammad Nawaz for $50,000, $40,000, and $30,000 respectively. These players will now join forces with Babar Azam and Naseem Shah, who had been pre-signed by the franchise prior to the auction.

Mohammad Hasnain and Asif Ali also garnered significant attention at the auction, both starting with a base price of $30,000. Eventually, Hasnain was successfully bid on by B-Love Kandy for $34,000, while Asif was bought for his base price of $30,000. Additionally, Kandy selected Mohammad Haris and Aamer Jamal from Peshawar Zalmi, acquiring their services for $20,000 and $10,000 respectively. Hasnain, Asif, Haris, and Jamal will now join forces with Fakhar Zaman, forming a formidable team for Kandy.

Shoaib Malik, who had previously represented the Jaffna Kings, found himself back in their ranks as they secured his services for $50,000. The Kings also added Zaman Khan, a specialist in death overs, to their squad at his base price of $30,000. Furthermore, Dambulla Aura strengthened their bowling attack by acquiring Pakistani pacer Shahnawaz Dahani for his base price of $20,000.

However, the auction did not bring success for all Pakistani players. Renowned cricketers like Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, and Azam Khan remained unsold, failing to attract bids from the participating franchises.

Here is a breakdown of the Pakistan players and the teams they will be representing in the LPL:

B-Love Kandy: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Asif Ali, Mohammad Haris, Aamer Jamal

Colombo Strikers: Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Wahab Riaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz

Jaffna Kings: Shoaib Malik, Zaman Khan

Dambulla Aura: Shahnawaz Dahani

Prior to the auction, several players were pre-signed by the franchises to ensure their participation in the tournament. Here are the pre-signed players for each team:

Colombo Strikers: Babar Azam, Matheesha Pathirana, Naseem Shah, Chamika Karunaratne

Dambulla Aura: Mathews Wade, Kusal Mendis, Lungi Ngidi, Avishka Fernando

Jaffna Kings: David Miller, Thisara Perera, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Maheesh Theekshana

B-Love Kandy: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Wanindu Hasaranga, Fakhar Zaman, Angelo Mathews

Galle Gladiators: Shakib Al Hasan, Dasun Shanaka, Tabraiz Shamsi, Bhanuka Rajapaksa