Haris Rauf Named Marquee Player for Major Hundred Auction

Haris Rauf Named Marquee Player for Inaugural Men's Hundred Auction on March 12

Haris Rauf has been confirmed as one of 10 marquee players whose names will headline the inaugural men's Hundred auction, scheduled to take place in Piccadilly, London on March 12. The Pakistan pace bowler is one of five marquee overseas players alongside Aiden Markram, David Miller, Sunil Narine, and Daryl Mitchell. The five marquee domestic players are Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, James Vince, Jordan Cox, and Joe Root. Haris Rauf's inclusion as a marquee name underlines his status as one of the most sought-after white-ball fast bowlers in world cricket ahead of the Hundred auction.

14 Pakistan Players Make the Trimmed Hundred Longlist

The ECB's original men's longlist featured 63 Pakistani players among 710 names who registered for the Hundred auction. Following a shortlisting process in which franchises submitted their preferred targets, the list has been trimmed to 243 players. Of these, 14 Pakistan players remain: Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Tariq, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Akif Javed, and Salman Mirza. Haris Rauf leads the group as the only Pakistani among the marquee names, with the Hundred auction set to be a significant moment for Pakistan cricket's relationship with the tournament.

Shadow Ban Controversy and ECB's Response

The build-up to the Hundred auction has been overshadowed by serious controversy. A BBC report alleged that the four franchises part or fully owned by IPL investors — MI London, Sunrisers Leeds, Manchester Super Giants, and Southern Brave — planned to enforce an unofficial shadow ban on Pakistani players, refusing to bid for them on geopolitical grounds. The report sparked widespread condemnation across English cricket, including from former Test captains Michael Atherton and Michael Vaughan. In response, the ECB and all eight franchises issued a joint statement committing to selection decisions being based solely on performance, availability, and the needs of each team. With the Hundred auction now days away, all eyes will be on whether the four IPL-linked franchises follow through on that commitment by bidding for any Pakistani players.

Haris Rauf's Hundred and BBL Credentials

Haris Rauf is no stranger to the Hundred. He has previously played two seasons for Welsh Fire, taking 16 wickets across both campaigns and establishing himself as one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in the competition's short history. He arrived at the Hundred auction with additional momentum after finishing as the leading wicket-taker at the recent Big Bash League, where he played under new Trent Rockets head coach Peter Moores at Melbourne Stars. Notably, Haris Rauf was left out of Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad, making his availability for the Hundred auction a straightforward one and increasing his appeal to franchises looking for elite overseas pace.

Availability and PCB NOC Concerns

Pakistan's white-ball specialists are expected to be largely available for the Hundred, which runs from July 21 to August 16. Pakistan are scheduled to tour the Caribbean for a Test series against West Indies during this window, but their T20 and ODI specialists should be free, pending the granting of No-Objection Certificates by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The latter stages of the Hundred do overlap with the start of the Caribbean Premier League, which could create some scheduling complications for certain players. The Hundred auction will be the first to feature private investors, following the lucrative sale of franchise shares last year.

Notable Absentees and Women's Auction Details

One notable omission from the trimmed Hundred auction longlist is Sahibzada Farhan, currently the leading run-scorer at the ongoing T20 World Cup having scored centuries against Namibia and Sri Lanka. Despite expressing hope of being picked up at the auction, Farhan did not make the cut — largely attributed to his limited franchise league experience. Ben Stokes also did not register, choosing instead to focus on preparation for England's Test series against Pakistan which begins just three days after the Hundred final. Moeen Ali similarly did not appear on the longlist after returning to domestic cricket with Yorkshire.

The women's Hundred auction takes place on March 11, one day before the men's. The 10 marquee names for the women's event are Dani Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Davina Perrin, Nadine de Klerk, Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney, Sophie Molineux, and Deepti Sharma. Two Pakistan players — allrounder Fatima Sana and left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal — have made the women's longlist, marking the first time any Pakistan women's players have featured in the Hundred auction process.