No Pakistani players were included in the SA20 2025 auction shortlist.
In a surprising twist, South Africa’s premier T20 competition, the SA20, is getting ready for its biggest-ever player auction—but once again, Pakistani fans will find no familiar names in the mix after their players were omitted from the official list.
541 players in final auction shortlist
Organisers confirmed that a record‑breaking 541 players have made the final auction shortlist, trimmed down from more than 800 registrations—the highest in the tournament’s four‑year history.
The pool includes 300 South Africans and 241 overseas cricketers. Yet notably, no Pakistani players are among those vying for SA20 contracts.
This absence continues a trend since the league’s inception: no Pakistani cricketer has ever featured for an SA20 team. While the issue has never been publicly addressed by organisers, the prevailing belief is that it stems from political tensions between Pakistan and India.
All six SA20 teams—MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings, Durban’s Super Giants, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, and Pretoria Capitals—are owned by IPL franchise groups, another league from which Pakistani cricketers have been barred.
The claim is further strengthened by Pakistan’s strong player presence in leagues without Indian owners.
The Caribbean Premier League, the Big Bash League, the Bangladesh Premier League, The Hundred, Major League Cricket and the International League T20 (ILT20) all see major representation from Pakistan.
For Pakistani cricket followers, the absence of Pakistani players in SA20 is glaring.
With the likes of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan commanding global T20 appeal, their non‑participation in the SA20 continues to prompt questions about whether future seasons will ever see Pakistani representation.
With the auction set for September 9 in Johannesburg, franchises will spend a combined R131 million (US$7.37m) to fill 84 available slots.
Squads will consist of 19 players each, with roster rules requiring at least nine local players, up to seven internationals, and two under‑23 South Africans per team.
The league will start on December 26, 2025, but until Pakistani stars are part of the tournament, SA20 might struggle to become the global household name it wishes to be.
