Big players of Afghanistan withdrew their names from PSL auctionImage Credit source: PTI
Auction was organized for the first time in Pakistan’s T20 tournament Pakistan Super League. In this players auction held on February 11 for the PSL 2026 season, bids were placed on many players, some of whom were sold for crores. Apart from Pakistan, PSL franchises also bid on players from Australia, England, West Indies and South Africa. But apart from India, players from any other country did not participate in this auction, that was the star player of Afghanistan.
Star Afghan players rejected PSL
Many big players including Afghan star Mujeeb ur Rehman, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqui, who are participating in the T20 World Cup 2026, did not participate in this auction. The reason for this was that he did not play in IPL. None of these players has got a place in IPL. Even all of them had registered their names for the PSL auction but before that most of the Afghan players withdrew their names and rejected the earning of crores.
Decision taken for this reason
The reason for all this is the ongoing tension in the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was sparked by the selection of Rahmanullah Gurbaz. In fact, before the auction, all the franchises got the opportunity to sign some players directly, in which Peshawar Zalmi signed Gurbaz. There was a lot of uproar among the fans on Pakistani social media regarding this, after which Gurbaz himself withdrew his name.
What did the CEO of PSL say?
Its effect was further visible and Afghanistan’s veterans withdrew their names from the PSL auction in support of their fellow player. PSL CEO Salman Naseer also admitted that due to the ongoing tension in the relations between the two countries, there was an uproar over the signing of Gurbaz and that is why other players also withdrew their names. Although he claimed that some other Afghan players took part in the auction but they did not find any buyer.
