NEW DELHI, June 4
Shaheen Shah Afridi is in talks to join Canada’s Global T20 league, after pulling out of the Hundred citing a desire to spend time with his family. The two leagues are set to clash directly in 2024 and Afridi’s withdrawal is a significant blow to the Hundred’s standing. Afridi played in the Hundred for the first time last year, taking six wickets in six appearances for Welsh Fire. He was retained by mutual agreement on a contract worth £100,000 – the second-highest salary band in the league – for the 2024 season, but has now pulled out of his deal. The ECB confirmed his withdrawal on Monday. “I’m sad to miss out on playing for Welsh Fire this year,” Afridi was quoted as saying in a press release. “I enjoyed the Hundred a lot last season, and I was excited about being back in Cardiff. I wish Mike [Hussey, Welsh Fire’s coach] and the team the best of luck for 2024.”
media understands that Afridi’s official explanation to the ECB was that he is reluctant to commit to spending four weeks away from his family. The Hundred starts on July 23 and ends on August 18, with players expected to report a few days before their opening match. Pakistan players are only permitted two No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to play in foreign leagues per season, as per the terms of their central contracts with the PCB. Afridi is already locked into a long-term deal with the Avram Glazer-owned Desert Vipers in UAE’s ILT20. Rather than using his second NOC on the Hundred, Afridi will instead consider playing in the Global T20, a privately-run league in Canada, which is set to return for a fourth season in 2024. The league’s organisers are yet to announce a schedule but it is expected to run from July 25 until August 11 – a slightly shorter window than the Hundred. The first two editions of the Global T20 were in 2018 and 2019 but it was postponed indefinitely during the Covid pandemic. It returned unexpectedly in 2023, attracting a strong cast of overseas players including Andre Russell, Mohammad Rizwan and Shakib Al Hasan, running at a similar time to the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC).
The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has received reports of late or non-payment issues with the Global T20 in the past 24 months. As a result, FICA recommends on its leagues hub that “any participating players request advanced payment”.
Matt Henry, the New Zealand seamer, has been confirmed as Afridi’s replacement at Welsh Fire in the Hundred. He could miss the start of the tournament if San Francisco Unicorns, his MLC franchise, reach the play-offs, with around half of the men’s overseas players signed up for the Hundred in a similar situation.
The ECB’s desire to compete with salaries on offer in other leagues is among the reasons underpinning their decision to open the Hundred up to private investment. Four other Pakistan players are under contract in the men’s Hundred for 2024: Naseem Shah (Birmingham Phoenix), Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire), Imad Wasim (Trent Rockets) and Usama Mir (Manchester Originals).
